MASTER 
NEGATIVE 

NO.  95-82426 


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Author: 


Strout,  E.A. 


Title: 


Success  selling  farms 


Place: 


[New  York] 


Date: 


[1910] 


9^-fX^2ic>-3> 


MASTER   NEGATIVE   * 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
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Strout,  E  A 

Success  selling  farms;  helpful  hints  to  Strout 
salesmen,  by  E.  A.  Strout,  president,      ^llow  York? 
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62  p«     illus.     23  en. 


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Columbia  Winibtviitp 

in  tt^t  Citp  of  Beto  |?orfe 


LIBRARY 


School  of  Business 


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This  book  is  due  two  weeks  from  the    last    date 

stamped  below,  and  if  not  returned  or  renewed  at  or 

Pbcfore  that  time  a  fine  of  five  cents  a  day  will  be  incurred. 


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Success   Selling 
FARMS 


Helpful  Hints  to  Strout  Salesmen 


' 


By 

E.  A.  Strout,  President 


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Copyrighted  by 

E.  A.  Strout  Company, 

1910 


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Helpful  Hints 

TO 

Strout  Salesmen. 

It  Is  Your  Move. 

ANY  man  who  starts  out  with  the  intention  of  making  a  success  of 
this  business  can  surely  accomplish  his  object  if  he  will  devote 
himself  to  the  work  along  the  proper  lines,  and  in  forwarding  to 
you  a  copy  of  contract  under  which  you  are  to  act  as  our  representative 
we  do  so  with  the  understanding  that  you  will  give  your  best  efforts  to 
this  work. 

We  are  not  dealing  with  theories  when  we  state  that  we  can  make  you 
successful  in  selling  real  estate.  We  have  tried  out  thoroughly  many 
different  ways  of  handling  country  property  and  our  present  policy  was 
adopted  because  we  found  it  the  most  successful. 

Please  bear  in  mind  that  we  cannot  make  any  move  in  the  direction 
of  getting  customers  for  properties  that  may  be  for  sale  in  your  section, 
until  you  have  placed  with  us  the  required  list  as  referred  to  hereafter. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  this  business  is  our  catalogue 
advertising.  A  copy  of  our  latest  catalogue  you  will  find  included  in 
the  supplies.    The  same  will  indicate  the  plan  we  follow  to  reach  buyers. 

We  issue  several  general  catalogues  each  year  with  a  circulation  of 
abouf  300,000  copies.  They  are  mailed  direct  to  prospective  buyers 
answering  our  advertisements  now  running  in  several  hundred  different 
publications. 

Perseverance  Is  the  Father  of  Results. 

If  there  is  one  thing  in  this  world  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to 
help  a  man  to  success  it  is  sticktoitiveness.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  90% 
of  the  agents  who  fail  in  any  line,  including  real  estate,  do  so  because  of 
downright  laziness,  backed  by  a  determination  not  to  find  out  why  others 
succeed  where  they  fail. 

One  of  our  successful  agents  who  had  a  rather  trying  experience  in 
getting  his  agency  started  writes  us  that  he  was  just  on  the  verge  of 
"throwing  up  the  game"  when  he  attained  his  success.  "It  was  hard 
work  getting  a  start,"  said  he,  "and  I  came  very  near  giving  up  after 
two  weeks  of  walking  through  snow  and  slush,  and  not  a  farm  listed, 
but  just  at  the  last  gasp  Misted  four  farms  in  one  afternoon.    Since  that 


2  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

time  they  have  kept  coming  in  and  now  I  have  thirty-seven  properties  for 
sale.  I  have  been  astonished  at  the  way  the  inquiries  have  been  pouring 
in  since  you  began  to  advertise  my  section.  The  first  inquiry  came  from 
Iowa.  Everything  is  now  encouraging.  I  have  caught  the  spirit  of 
enthusiasm  and  you  may  be  sure  that  this  is  not  going  to  be  a  dead 
agency." 

And  we  are  happy  to  say  it  is  not. 

The  same  perseverance  so  essential  to  success  in  listing  properties 
must  be  followed  in  the  real  business  of  selling  and  in  following  up 
prospective  buyers  whose  names  go  to  an  agent  as  a  result  of  our  adver- 
tising. Do  not  become  discouraged  if  you  fail  to  receive  favorable  replies 
from  all  the  prospects  to  w<hom  you  write  or  if  you  do  not  succeed  in 
selling  a  farm  to  the  first  man  you  get  on  the  ground. 

There  is  just  a  possibility  that  your  letters  are  partly  responsible  for 
failure  to  receive  as  many  replies  as  you  think  should  come,  and  it  is 
also  possible  that  the  methods  of  salesmanship  employed  by  you  when 
you  got  the  prospect  on  the  ground  were  partially  the  reason  for  your 

failure  to  make  a  sale. 

If  you  are  due  to  make  a  failure  as  a  real  estate  agent,  this  is  the 
point  where  you  will  stop,  throw  up  your  hands  and  your  job.  But  if 
you  are  going  to  make  a  success  of  it  you  will  begin  a  little  personal 
investigation  and  endeavor  to  ascertain  what  is  wrong. 

And  when  you  find  what  appears  to  you  to  be  wrong  you  will  make 
every  effort  to  correct  it  and  will  start  out  with  renewed  courage  in  search 
of  other  prospects.  When  the  next  man  comes  to  see  you,  you  will 
handle  him  differently  and  the  chances  are  pretty  good  that  if  you 
have  anything  near  like  what  he  wants  at  a  fair  price  you  will  land  him. 

Excuses  Get  You  Nowhere. 

Don't  sit  around  and  make  excuses.  Find  out  the  "why,"  and  then, 
when  the  next  prospective  customer  comes  along,  throw  out  your  bait  and 
try  new  tactics.  Keep  on  trying  until  you  find  the  right  way.  You  are 
the  one  who  must  find  the  right  way ;  no  one  else  can  tell  you.  We  can 
suggest,  so  can  others,  but  you  are  the  man  who  must  find  out  the  way 
you  can  use  best,  the  way  you  can  make  most  efifective,  the  way  with 
which  your  personality  and  capabilities  will  do  the  most. 

Try  a  little  more  enthusiasm.  Put  a  little  more  ginger  into  your 
work ;  more  intelligence  into  your  efforts ;  more  impressiveness  into  your 
statements,  and  last  of  all,  don't  forget  the  deposit,  the  most  important 
thing  of  all.  When  you  ask  for  a  deposit,  don't  jump  up  into  the  air 
and  beat  your  fists.  Lead  up  to  it  carefully  and  take  it  for  granted  that 
you  are  going  to  get  it  when  you  ask  for  it.  A  little  mental  suggestion 
on  your  part  will  work  wonders.  Say  to  yourself,  "When  I  ask  for  that 
deposit  I  am  going  to  get  it."  Say  this  before  you  start  to  show  the 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS.  3 

farm.    If  you  keep  this  in  mind,  all  your  statements  and  all  your  actions 
will  lead  naturally  up  to  the  asking  point. 

At  the  same  time,  you  will  have  been  improving  your  correspondence 
methods,  and  the  result  will  be  more  prospects  on  the  ground.  With 
improved  selling  methods  which  certainly  will  result  from  your  expe- 
rience, your  sales  will  have  increased  in  number  and  you  will  have  pulled 
success  out  of  what  perhaps  appeared  to  you  in  the  beginning  to  be 
certain  failure. 

Have  Your  Office  at  Your  Home. 

If  you  are  in  a  city  or  large  town  and  your  home  is  so  situated  as  to 
be  difficult  for  a  stranger  to  find,  or  you  have  no  good  wife  to  act  as 
partner,  it  may  be  advisable  for  you  to  have  an  office  outside  of  your 
home ;  but  wherever  possible,  we  believe  it  is  best  to  have  your  prospects 
come  to  your  home. 

If  the  prospect  comes  to  your  home,  he  is  kept  away  from  all  outside 
influences,  your  competitors,  the  town  gossips  and  others,  and  at  the 
same  time  it  makes  him  feel  more  as  though  his  visit  were  a  personal 
one— as  though  he  had  come  to  see  a  friend,  and  it  removes  the  cold- 
blooded business  feeling  of  a  call  at  a  public  office. 

Strout  Methods. 
In  order  that  our  new  agents  may  be  saved  a  great  deal  of  unnecessary 
trouble,  wasted  time  and  costly  experiments,  we  have  prepared  this 
pamphlet  which  contains  in  brief  form  a  general  resume  of  our  business 
methods  and  plans  as  developed  by  many  years  of  successful  experience 
in  the  country  real  estate  field.  It  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  success 
of  the  new  agent  that  this  book  be  carefully  read  and  that  the  rules  herein 
laid  down  be  followed  as  closely  as  possible.  The  various  forms  and  their 
uses  as  explained  on  later  pages  should  be  studied  carefully. 

Low  Price  Properties. 
In  the  first  place,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  every  piece  of  real 
I)roperty,  no  matter  where  it  is  located,  can  be  sold  to  some  one  some 
time,  if  the  price  is  right.  Experience  has  shown  us  that  low-priced 
properties,  even  though  they  are  located  many  miles  from  depot  or 
town,  are  much  better  to  advertise  in  our  catalogues  than  higher  priced 
and  more  favorably  located  properties. 

Personal  Property  Included. 
Experience  has  shown  us,  too,  that  where  personal  property,  such 
as  crops,  live  stock,  tools  and  machinery,  are  included  in  the  purchase 
price,  it  is  far  easier  to  find  a  purchaser  for  the  property  than  when  only 
the  land  and  buildings  are  offered.  For  instance,  a  $2,000  farm  with 
$500  worth  of  personal  property  included  will  attract  more  attention 
advertised  at  $3,000  than  the  $2,000  farm  without  personal  property 
included,  advertised  at  even  $1,500. 


4  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

In  view  of  this,  there  is  only  one  conclusion — that  is,  that  you  follow 
this  idea  as  closely  as  you  can  when  selecting  properties  for  us  to  adver- 
tise for  your  section.  Along  with  the  well-located  high-priced  farms, 
near  the  railroad,  easily  accessible  to  village,  list  the  little  way  back 
places;  and  always  induce  the  owner  of  every  farm,  large  or  small, 
to  throw  in  something  in  the  way  of  personal  property,  especially 
live  stock. 

Use  your  ingenuity  in  getting  the  price  as  low  as  possible  on  every 
property  you  list  at  the  time  you  get  the  description,  as  $ioo  off  the 
owner's  net  price  is  of  just  as  much  interest  to  you  and  us  as  the  same 
amount  additional  from  the  buyer.  At  no  time  lose  sight  of  the  fact 
that  you  are  selling  farms  on  a  profit  basis  and  that  the  difference  between 
the  owner's  net  price  and  the  selling  price  is  our  commission. 

Always  get  as  easy  terms  as  possible,  bearing  in  mind  at  all  times 
that  the  smaller  the  cash  payment  required  the  more  quickly  we  can 
make  a  sale.  g^nj  Descriptions  Promptly. 

Send  descriptions  and  contracts  of  newly  listed  properties  to  us  the 
same  day  you  list  the  property.  We  have  many  callers  at  our  offices  every 
day  and  some  of  them  might  inquire  for  just  the  property  you  had 
listed  but  had  not  forwarded.  In  no  event  hold  a  description  and  con- 
tract more  than  three  (3)  days  after  you  list  a  property. 

Copy  on  Form  167. 
For  your  own  reference  you  should  make  and  retain  a  copy  of  the 
description  on  Form  167  before  sending  the  original  description  to  us. 
Also,  you  should  keep  a  record  in  a  pocket  notebook  of  the  kind  of 
contract  and  the  amount  net  to  the  owner.  Some  of  our  agents,  as  a 
result  of  not  keeping  this  record  of  the  contract,  have  for  instance  settled 
with  owners  for  a  commission  of  $200  when  in  reality,  according  to  the 
contract  which  the  owner  signed,  the  commission  was  $400. 

Changes  in  Descriptions. 
When  requesting  any  change  made  in  the  descriptions  on  file  at  the 
home  office,  always  send  the  information  on  a  separate  sheet  of  paper 
for  each  property  you  write  about,  telling  of  the  different  changes  you 
wish  made.  We  will  then  file  each  memorandum  with  the  original 
description.  Also,  in  sending  in  the  original  description,  if  you  find  it 
advisable  to  give  any  information  not  provided  for  on  the  description 
blank,  be  sure  to  send  this  on  a  separate  sheet  of  paper  and  on  this 
sheet  refer  to  nothing  except  this  particular  property.  In  this  way  we 
will  be  able  to  give  a  prospective  customer  a  very  intelligent  description 
of  your  properties  from  the  information  we  have  on  file. 

The  Importance  of  Being  Careful  in  Listing  Properties. 
The  most  careful  attention  should  be  given  to  filling  out  answers  to 
each  and  every  question  on  the  description  blank,  particularly  those  ques- 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS.  5 

tions  regarding  prices  and  terms.  There  should  be  no  question  as  to  the 
amount  of  cash  the  owner  is  to  receive,  the  amount  of  the  mortgage, 
the  time  the  mortgage  is  to  run,  the  rate  of  interest  and  the  time  same 
shall  be  paid,  whether  annually  or  semi-annually. 

By  being  careful  at  the  time  of  listing,  it  is  possible  to  save  a  great 
deal  of  worry  and  needless  labor  when  the  customer  arrives. 

A  Little  Secret. 

Never  call  our  listing  blank  an  agreement.  Always  refer  to  it  as 
"price  list."  Many  farmers  are  shy  of  signing  agreements  and,  in 
Heaven's  name,  don't  ever  ask  an  owner  to  "sign  here,"  pointing  to  the 
line  with  your  finger.  As  soon  as  you  have  filled  out  the  price  agreed 
upon,  sign  your  own  name  and  then,  putting  your  pen  in  the  owner's 
right  hand,  say,  "Just  place  your  name  on  that  line,  please,"  and  ninety- 
nine  times  out  of  a  hundred  he  will  do  it,  whereas  if  you  ask  him  to 
sign,  he  will  refuse  point  blank. 

Your  Correspondence. 

One  of  the  things  most  essential  to  your  success  as  a  salesman  is 
promptness  in  replying  to  every  letter  received  by  you.  Answer  every 
letter  the  day  it  is  received  and  use  all  possible  care  in  the  preparation 
of  your  reply.  Should  your  correspondent  ask  any  specific  question, 
answer  that  question  as  clearly  as  possible  and  at  the  same  time  give 
any  additional  information  which  you  believe  will  quicken  the  prospect's 
interest  in  your  section  and  your  properties. 

Use  Your  Own  Name. 

In  writing  to  prospective  customers,  always  give  your  own  name  and 
address,  for  instance:  "John  C.  Jones,  Agent,  E.  A.  Strout  Company, 
Burlington,  Mass." 

Without  exception,  our  most  successful  agents,  wherever  located,  are 
the  men  who  give  the  closest,  promptest  and  most  careful  attention  to 
their  correspondence.  When  they  get  in  touch  with  a  man  who  shows 
an  interest  in  any  of  their  properties  they  follow  him  in  a  systematic 
way  until  either  they  have  sold  him  a  property  or  have  become  convinced 
that  it  is  useless  to  go  further. 

Promptness  Wins. 

That  you  may  see  the  application  of  this,  we  will  suppose  that  a 
man  writes  to  two  agents  on  the  same  day  making  specific  inquiries 
regarding  certain  properties  in  each  section.  From  one  agent  he  receives 
a  prompt  answer,  while  from  the  other  he  receives  a  reply  a  w^eek  or 
ten  days  later.  Ninety-nine  times  out  of  a  hundred,  Agent  No.  i,  even 
if  his  section  is  less  desirable  than  that  of  Agent  No.  2,  will  land  the 
customer  if  he  buys  at  all.  The  man  looking  for  a  farm  or  anything 
else  wants  to  do  business  with  the  man  who  will  give  him  the  best 
attention,  just  as  you  do  when  you  are  in  the  market  to  buy  anything. 


\ 


6  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

You  should  give  the  same  careful  attention  to  every  inquiry,  no 
matter  how  unpromising  it  may  look.  It  is  only  by  answering  all  your 
correspondence  from  all  your  prospects  immediately  upon  receipt  of  their 
inquiries  that  you  can  hope  to  obtain  the  best  results. 

LETTERS  THAT  SELL  FARMS. 

Making  It  Easy  for  the  Reader  to  Decide— How  to  Bring  Your  Let- 
ter to  a  Close  that  Clinches  and  Makes  the  Prospect  Act. 

Your  whole  letter,  like  a  conversation  with  a  customer,  leads  to  a 
point  where  it  is  his  move  next  and  the  last  thing  you  say  should  make 
your  prospect  act  quickly. 

Nothing  that  I  have  yet  devised  will  do  this  as  surely  as  a  direct  ques- 
tion. I  receive  a  larger  percentage  of  replies  from  letters  closed  about 
as  follows,  than  from  others: 

"Values  in  this  section  are.  increasing  so  rapidly  that  these  farms  will 

not  be  on  the  market  long    Come  to  X at  your  earliest  convenience. 

I  will  introduce  you  to  our  farmers  and  business  men  and  will  drive  you 
with  my  own  team  to  see  the  best  bargains  available.  You  will  have  a 
splendid  opportunity  to  judge  of  the  desirability  of  our  section  and  to 
select  a  good  home  and  profitable  farm.  Can  you  not  come  Wednesday, 
the  2nd?  Yours  very  truly." 

Mailing  Small  Pictures  to  Prospects. 

One  of  the  most  effective  correspondence  plans  used  by  one  agent, 
who  has  made  a  big  success  of  our  business,  is  to  mail  small  photographs 
of  the  buildings  on  a  property  to  a  prospective  purchaser. 

"When  a  prospect  advises  me  the  kind  of  a  property  he  wants,"  said 
this  successful  agent,  "or  I  receive  notice  from  the  Company,  I  imme- 
diately send  him  a  full  description  of  one  place  that  seems  to  meet  his 
requirements.  A  complete  description  of  one  farm  is  better,  I  believe, 
than  brief  descriptions  of  several. 

"In  my  letter  I  enclose  a  picture  of  the  buildings  with  a  note  on  the 
back  requesting  that  he  kindly  return  it  or  bring  it  with  him  when  he 
visits  me.  Nearly  nine  out  of  every  ten  pictures  come  back  with  a 
letter.  My  replies  this  way  are  nearly  double  what  they  were  before 
I  adopted  the  picture  idea,  and  it  has  convinced  me  that  the  picture 
plan  is  a  big  winner." 

There  are  several  reasons  for  this.  In  the  first  place,  a  man  is 
interested  more  quickly  by  sight  than  by  hearing  or  his  imagination; 
and  since  he  cannot  be  shown  a  farm  by  letter,  the  next  best  thing  is 
to  send  him  a  picture  that  will  fix  his  attention  and  drive  home  the  idea 
that  here,  awaiting  his  inspection,  is  just  exactly  such  a  place  as  has 
been  described  to  him. 


fl 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


V 


LEHERS" 


Messages  of  fifty  words  or  more  will  be  sent  at  night  and  deliv- 
ered the  following  morning  throughout  the  United  States  by  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company. 

A  fifty-word  ''Night  Letter"  will  he  sent  for  the  price  of  a  ten- 
word  day  message. 

Each  additional  ten  words  or  less — one-fifth  of  the  charge  for 
the  first  fifty  words. 

The  "Night  Letter"  eliminates  the  necessity  of  abbreviation. 

This  company's  facilities  for  this  service  include  forty  thousand 
employees,  over  one  million  and  a  quarter  miles  of  wire,  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  offices. 

The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 

PROnPT,  EFFICIENT,  POPULAR  SERVICE 


For  your  information  we  reproduce 
above  an  advertisement  now  running  in 
the  current  magazines. 

Many  of  our  leading  agents  are  now 
using  these  "Night  Letters."  They  are 
most  impressive.  Our  customers  as  a 
rule  seldom  receive  telegrams.  The  re- 
ceipt by  them  of  a  fifty-word  telegram 
or  "Night  Letter"  from  you  will  im- 
press them  with  your  keen  progressive 
business  methods  and  at  the  same  time 


convey  to  their  minds  the  idea  that  the 
property  you  are  informing  them  about 
must  have  unusual  merits.  The  impulse 
naturally  follows  that  they  should  take 
action  immediately. 

When  a  prospect  has  left  you  for 
home  to  "see  his  wife,"  wire  him  after 
he  has  been  home  a  day  about  as  fol- 
lows :  "Can  not  hold  farm  Number  462 
longer.  If  you  want  it,  telegraph  me 
immediatelv." 


8 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


This  agent,  as  a  rule,  procures  the  photographs,  which  are  of  the 
post-card  size,  from  the  owner  at  the  time  the  property  is  listed.  At 
the  time  of  listing  he  requests  the  owner  to  supply  him  with  one  dozen 
small  photographs  or  post-cards  of  his  buildings  and  a  few  days  later; 
if  the  pictures  are  not  forthcoming,  he  notifies  that  owner  that  he  is 
ready  to  begin  work  on  that  property  and  that  the  non-arrival  of  the 
pictures  is  the  only  thing  that  is  holding  him  back. 

Very  often  this  letter  has  the  desired  result,  but  if  the  owner  fails 
to  supply  the  photographs,  the  agent  immediately  goes  about  it  himself. 
Special  Delivery  Letters  and  Telegrams. 

There  is  probably  no  one  thing  an  agent  can  do  himself  that  will 
bring  him  better  interest  on  his  investment  than  a  generous  use  of 
special  delivery  letters  and  telegrams.  A  careful  study  of  your  cor- 
respondence will  find  you  now  and  then  with  an  ideal  case  for  the  use 
of  a  special  delivery  or  telegram.  For  instance,  you  have  corresponded 
with  a  man  who  is  difficult  to  get  started.  Such  a  man  needs  a  special 
delivery,  provided,  of  course,  your  previous  letters  have  paved  the  way 
for  the  "special."  Your  letters  must  have  shown  him  that  you  have 
his  interests  at  heart  and  are  really  trying  to  find  just  the  property 

he  wants. 

Among  your  list  of  prospective  buyers,  to  those  to  whom  you  have 
written  that  they  will  be  notified  when  you  have  listed  just  the  property 
they  are  looking  for,  send  a  "special"  at  once  and  enclose  a  "special" 
envelope,  if  the  circumstances  advise  it,  for  their  replies. 

Be  sure  that  the  property  you  write  "special"  about  is  really  a  good 
property.     Never  write  "special"  about  a  property  that  is  not  worth 

showing.  1      u  1.  J 

The  time  and  instances  when  a  "special"  or  telegram  should  be  used 
will  be  evident  to  the  agent  who  keeps  in  close  touch  with  his  prospective 
buyers  through  the  file  system,  which  enables  an  agent  to  review  at  a 
moment's  notice  the  history  of  every  case. 

Telegrams  properly  used  are  very  effective.  The  values  of  these 
instruments,  whether  "special"  or  telegram,  depends  largely  upon  the 
ability  of  the  agent  to  "size  up"  the  man  he  is  doing  business  with. 
There  are  some  things  you  can  generally  bank  on  as  certain,  viz. :  the 
man  who  writes  illegibly  and  is  illiterate,  which  qualities  can  be  ascer- 
tained by  his  letters,  will  appreciate  these  instruments.  Be  sparing  of 
them  with  a  man  of  higher  education. 

The  special  delivery  letter  should  contain  a  description  of  just  such 
a  property  as  you  know  the  prospective  buyer  is  in  the  market  for,  and 
it  should  be  used  only  after  you  have  tried  in  vain  to  interest  him  by 
the  usual  methods.  It  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  depend  upon  the 
circumstances  of  each  individual  case,  suggesting  that  the  prospect  come 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS.  9 

to  see  the  property  at  once  or  that  he  mail  $50  or  $100  to  apply  on  the 
property,  which  deposit  may  be  applied  on  any  other  property,  if  the 
one  that  you  have  selected  does  not  come  up  to  his  expectations;  that 
you  are  giving  him  first  chance  to  get  it;  that  there  are  other  parties 
who  had  requested  that  you  let  them  know  when  you  had  such  a  prop- 
erty, and  that  you  are  writing  to  them  in  the  order  in  which  the  inquiries 
came  in.  He  stands  first  on  your  list  just  at  this  time,  however,  and 
consequently  is  getting  the  first  chance  at  this  property. 

The  first  letter  should  contain  a  complete  description  of  the  particular 
property  you  have  in  mind.  Naturally,  it  may  be  quite  long,  and  even 
if  it  is  no  harm  will  have  been  done. 

But  in  the  second  letter,  the  fewer  words  the  better.  Just  a  few  terse 
sentences  to  let  your  prospect  know  it  is  his  last  chance — that  you  must 
have  a  definite  reply  at  once  or  the  chance  will  go  to  the  next  man.  Do 
not  use  an  unnecessary  word.    You  will  be  astonished  at  the  results. 

Aids  in  Correspondence. 

You  should  put  your  very  best  effort  into  letters  going  to  prospects 
who  inquire  about  properties  in  your  section.  Always  endeavor  to  fully 
cover  those  things  in  which  the  prospect  is  most  interested.  Not  only 
describe  one  or  two  (never  more  than  two)  of  the  best  bargains  you 
have  for  sale  but  also  tell  him  about  your  section,  calling  attention  to 
its  market  and  transportation  facilities,  its  desirability  as  a  home  place,  , 
its  attractive  features,  historical  and  otherwise,  and  in  a  general  way 
those  things  you  would  want  to  know  yourself  if  you  were  in  search 
of  such  a  property. 

Meeting  Prospective  Customers. 

When  you  receive  notice  that  a  prospective  customer  is  coming  to 
see  you  at  some  stated  time,  be  sure  to  either  meet  him  yourself  on 
the  arrival  of  the  train  at  the  station  or  have  some  friend  of  yours  meet 
him  and  take  good  care  of  him  until  you  get  to  him  yourself.  We  know 
that  some  of  our  competitors  are  watching  trains  constantly,  eager  to 
snap  up  our  customers  and  thus  reap  the  reward  of  our  hard  work  and 
expensive  advertising.  When  a  prospect  gets  to  your  town  as  a  result 
of  our  advertising,  he  is  your  customer  and  you  should  take  every 
precaution  to  prevent  any  rival  agent  from  getting  hold  of  him.  From 
the  time  our  customer  reaches  your  railroad  station  until  you  see  him 
on  the  train  bound  for  some  other  point,  it  is  your  duty  to  keep  him 
from  falling  into  the  hands  of  others. 

Entertaining  Prospective  Buyers. 

The  attention  which  should  be  given  prospective  buyers  while  they 
are  in  your  town  is  a  matter  of  such  extreme  importance  that  you  are 
asked  to  carefully  read  and  observe  the  following: 


10 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


First — Either  meet  every  train  yourself  or  have  someone  else  do 
so  who  will  take  good  care  of  the  customer. 

Second — In  every  case  possible,  have  your  office  in  your  home,  not 
on  the  street. 

Third — If  it  is  a  possible  thing,  entertain  your  customer  at  your 
own  home  and  do  not  send  him  to  a  hotel  to  meet  other  real  estate  agents 
and  learn  about  other  farms  for  sale  in  your  section  and  perhaps  listen 
to  some  grouchy  person  elaborate  on  all  the  bad  points  of  the  town. 

Fourth — If  you  must  send  him  to  a  hotel,  do  not  leave  him  until 
he  is  in  his  room  for  the  night  and  be  on  hand  early  the  next  morning. 

Fifth — When  you  are  away  from  home,  have  someone  there  during 
your  absence  properly  instructed  how  to  keep  a  customer  entertained 
until  you  return.  This  means  inviting  the  prospect  to  partake  of  some 
nourishment,  no  matter  what  time  of  the  day  or  night  he  arrives,  keeping 
him  as  cool  as  possible  in  summer  and  warm  and  comfortable  in  winter ; 
isitting  with  him  and  talking  pleasantly  about  different  subjects,  being 
particularly  careful  to  mention  only  pleasant  things  about  the  town  and 
its  people.  Ask  him  regarding  his  family,  how  many  children  he  has, 
etc.,  etc.  If  he  has  any  children,  tell  him  about  the  good  schools, 
churches,  etc.     All  this  will  be  interesting  to  the  prospective  customer. 

Sixth — Always  have  the  party  who  meets  your  customer  at  the  train 
take  him  to  your  home  when  you  cannot  attend  to  him  at  once. 

Seventh — See  him  off  on  the  train  when  he  leaves  town  and  whether 
he  has  purchased  or  not,  grasp  his  hand  at  parting  and  say  (as  if  you 
meant  it,  whether  you  do  or  not)  that  you  are  very  glad  to  have  met 
him.  He  may  come  back  or  send  others  to  you.  Even  if  he  has  bar- 
gained for  a  certain  property,  if  left  to  wait  around  town  until  train 
time,  there  is  an  opportunity  for  someone  to  spoil  the  sale. 

If  possible,  you  should  send  him  to  some  other  Strout  agent ;  in  any 
event,  you  never  should  try  to  discourage  him  from  going  to  see  some 
of  the  other  boys  by  telling  him  this  other  fellow  has  a  poor  territory. 
If  you  cannot  sell  to  him  yourself,  be  broadminded  enough  to  give  some 
of  your  fellow-agents  a  chance  to  try;  in  other  words,  be  loyal  to  the 
firm  you  represent,  and  in  the  end  you  will  find  that  you  have  been 
working  for  your  own  best  interests.    You  will  be  the  gainer  every  time. 

Friendly  Remembrance. 

A  visitor  who  leaves  you  in  the  frame  of  mind  a  man  must  be  in 
when  he  has  received  only  courteous  and  considerate  treatment  during 
his  stay  in  your  town  cannot  have  anything  but  a  friendly  remembrance 
of  you  and  your  section.  And  such  a  man  often  sends  to  you  some  of 
his  friends  whom  he  believes  may  be  interested  in  some  of  the  prop- 
erties he  has  seen;  and  where  you  assist  your  fellow-agent  in  a  case 
where  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  make  a  sale  yourself  you  will  find  that 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


II 


that  agent  very  frequently  will  go  out  of  his  way  to  push  a  prospect 
along  to  you. 

Aiding  Competitors  Prohibited. 

Under  no  circumstances  whatsoever  may  any  agent  send  a  prospec- 
tive customer  to  anyone  not  connected  with  the  Strout  Company.  If 
we  learn  of  any  of  our  agents  sending  a  customer  to  whom  he  cannot 
sell,  to  a  competitor,  giving  his  name  to  a  competitor,  sending  him  to 
a  property  owner  or  giving  his  name  to  any  party  not  connected  with 
this  Company,  or  recommending  such  persons  to  any  property  on  which 
the  Home  Office  will  not  make  a  regular  commission,  we  shall  terminate 
forthwith  the  contract  existing  between  that  agent  and  the  Company. 

The  Art  of  Entertaining. 

If  you  are  not  already  an  adept,  you  should  make  a  constant  study 
of  the  art  of  entertaining  strangers.  The  moment  you  get  in  touch  with 
a  prospective  customer,  he  is,  or  should  be,  under  your  personal  influence. 
If  you  can  make  your  correspondence  and  your  personality  sufficiently 
pleasing  to  the  customer,  the  battle  is  a  great  deal  more  than  half  won. 
The  moment  he  steps  from  the  train,  he  should  feel  that  he  is  your 
guest  and  a  welcome  one,  and  he  should  be  shown  every  attention  and 
consideration  that  is  necessary  for  his  comfort  and  convenience. 

The  Stranger  Meets  a  Friend. 

When  you  first  greet  a  prospective  customer,  look  him  in  the  eye, 
smile  and  shake  his  hand  and  sihow  him  that  you  are  very  glad  to  meet 
him.  Make  him  feel  that  instead  of  being  in  a  strange  land,  he  has 
met  an  old  friend. 

If  it  is  anywhere  near  meal  time,  see  that  he  gets  a  good  warm  dinner 
before  you  start  out  to  inspect  properties.  If  it  is  a  cold  and  rainy  day 
and  he  is  not  warmly  dressed,  loan  him  a  good,  thick  coat,  cap,  mittens 
and  a  pair  of  overshoes  or  heavy  boots,  so  that  when  he  walks  down 
through  the  wet  fields  his  feet  will  still  be  dry  and  warm.  If  he  gets 
his  feet  wet,  he  will  be  thinking  more  of  the  unfavorable  side  of  farming 
than  of  the  good  trade  you  have  just  shown  him. 

You  cannot  sell  a  farm  to  any  man  who  is  cold,  or  wet  or  hungry. 
You  know  yourself  that  things  look  mighty  dreary  at  such  a  time,  while 
with  a  full  stomach  and  a  warm  back,  things  appear  in  a  much  more 
rosy  light. 

The  First  Impression. 

When  driving  out  a  customer  to  see  a  farm  always  determine  before- 
hand which  side  of  the  buildings  should  be  shown  first  to  give  him  the 
best  impression  upon  approaching  the  property.  Sometimes,  it  will  pay 
to  go  a  mile  or  two  out  of  your  way  in  order  to  approach  a  farm  from 
its  most  favorable  side,  thus  making  the  first  impression  a  pleasing  one. 
.    Every  piece  of  real  estate  has  some  good  points  and  it  is  to  these 


f 


12 


SUCCESS   SELLING  FARMS. 


good  qualities  that  you  should  give  your  attention  in  talking  to  a  prospec- 
tive customer.  If  you  draw  attention  to  those  points  in  a  convincing 
and  entertaining  way,  the  customer  many  times  will  not  notice  some 
of  the  disadvantages. 

Be  Square. 

Do  not  try  to  gloss  over  any  poor  qualities  by  misrepresentation. 

We  now  have  and  propose  to  keep  the  reputation  of  doing  a  square 
business  and  we  have  given  back  to  a  buyer  the  money  he  had  paid  to 
bind  a  trade  after  he  had  proven  to  us  that  the  agent  who  made  the 
sale  misrepresented  the  property  to  him. 

Satisfied  customers  are  the  best  advertisements  that  we  or  you  can 

^^^^  Avoid  Making  Price. 

Probably  nine  out  of  every  ten  prospective  customers,  before  finally 
saying  they  will  take  the  farm  you  are  offering  them,  will  ask  you  how 
much  less  than  the  price  you  quoted  can  the  farm  be  bought  for.  Some 
of  them  will  make  an  offer  or  ask  the  lowest  price  simply  as  a  matter 
of  business  when  all  the  time  they  think  the  price  quoted  is  very  rea- 
sonable, perhaps  low,  and  intend  to  buy  at  that  price.  Once  in  a  while 
a  man  will  not  make  up  his  mind  to  buy  unless  there  is  a  reduction  in 

the  price.  . 

Extreme  care  sihould  be  exercised  in  dealing  with  a  case  of  this  kind. 
We  will  imagine,  for  instance,  that  you  have  a  property  listed  for  $2,000 
net  to  the  owner  and  we  have  been  advertising  it  and  you  have  been 
showing  it  at  $3,000,  and  the  customer  after  examining  the  property, 
tells  you  that  he  does  not  want  to  pay  that  price  for  it.  Don't  let  the 
customer  feel  that  the  farm  can  be  bought  for  a  dollar  less  than  the 
price  quoted  him  until  you  see  positively  that  he  will  not  pay  the  first 
price  asked  for  the  property. 

Refer  It  to  the  Owner. 

Then  it  is  time  enough  for  you  to  say :  "Well,  I  am  ready  to  submit 
the  offer  you  want  to  make  for  this  place.  I  really  think  it  is  going  to 
sell  easily  for  $3,000,  but  if  it  can  be  bought  for  any  less  I  would  like 
to  see  you  get  it."  Then,  if  he  should  offer  $2,500,  you  may  tell  him 
it  would  be  useless  to  submit  any  such  price  as  that— that  you  may  be 
able  to  get  the  owner  to  take  off  $100,  perhaps,  but  that  you  know  it 
would  be  hopeless  to  ask  for  a  $500  reduction. 

Then  you  can  say :  "If  you  want  to  give  me  $200  to  bind  the  trade 
on  this  property  at  $2,900,  I  will  see  the  owner,  and  if  you  cannot  have 
the  property  at  $2,900,  I  will  return  the  $200  to  you."  Oftentimes, 
when  a  customer  makes  an  offer,  you  will  be  able  to  get  him  to  increase 
it  later,  for,  of  course,  his  first  offer  will  seldom  be  his  best  offer. 
Whether  you  get  him  to  finally  agree  to  pay  $2,900  or  $2,800,  however. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


13 


take  his  $200  and  give  him  a  receipt  for  it  with  the  agreement  and 
understanding  that  it  is  to  bind  the  trade  on  the  terms  agreed,  subject 
to  the  owner's  approval.  At  the  same  time,  give  him  your  promise 
that  if  you  cannot  get  the  owner  to  agree  to  his  price  his  $200  will  be 
returned  to  him. 

Then  you  can  see  the  owner.  Tell  the  owner  that  you  have  sold 
his  farm  to  net  him  $2,000,  as  he  listed  it  with  us,  and  then  see  the 
customer  or  write  him  that  the  farm  will  become  his  for  $2,900  or  $2,800, 
as  the  case  may  be. 

A  Fatal  Error. 

Our  most  successful  agents  have  told  me  that  time  and  time  again, 
when  they  were  foolish  enough  to  take  the  matter  of  fixing  a  low  price 
into  their  own  hands  by  saying,  "I  cannot  sell  the  farm  to  you  for  $2,800, 
but  I  can  sell  it  to  you  for  $2,900,"  the  customer  has  immediately  grown 
suspicious  and  left  immediately  without  purchasing  that  property  or  any 
other,  however  attractive  a  price  may  be  made  to  him. 

You  should  make  every  customer  feel  that  you  have  no  authority 
to  change  the  price  to  the  extent  of  a  single  dollar,  but  must,  in  every 
case,  refer  the  matter  to  the  owner  before  such  a  change  can  be  made. 
Then  he  will  feel  that  the  price  he  is  getting  is  the  owner's  lowest  and 
that  will  keep  his  appetite  sharp  and  make  him  feel  that  you  are  doing 
him  a  great  favor  to  intercede  with  the  owner  for  a  lower  price. 

$33  Instead  of  $2000. 

If  you  use  the  right  line  of  argument  you  can  often  convince  a  man 
that  he  can  afford  to  buy  a  $4,000  farm  when  he  thinks  he  can  afford 
to  contract  for  nothing  larger  than  a  $2,000  property.  In  the  beginning, 
it  will  appear  to  the  prospective  buyer  as  merely  the  difference  of  $2,000 
in  a  lump  sum.    That  will  be  his  attitude  when  you  begin  your  argument. 

"The  cost  of  the  property  really  should  be  figured  by  the  year,"  you 
will  begin,  "for  that  is  the  measure  by  which  you  enjoy  it.  You  and 
your  loved  ones  will  enjoy  the  shelter  of  the  buildings  and  receive  your 
maintenance  from  the  land  for  a  period  of,  say,  sixty  years.  The  first 
cost  of  this  $4,000  farm  over  the  $2,000  cwie  is  $2,000,  or  just  $33  a 
year  for  60  years. 

"Is  it  not  worth  $33  a  year  to  enjoy  the  use  of  the  extra  rooms  in 
the  house  and  liberal  stable  room? 

"The  nearness  to  market  and  town  of  this  farm  would  enable  you 
to  take  immediate  advantage  of  any  quick  change  in  market  prices  of 
hay,  potatoes,  fruit,  etc.  Without  question,  you  would  make  $33  many 
times  over  each  year  through  this  one  advantage  of  location. 

"You  will  visit  town  at  least  once  each  week.  If  you  figure  the  time 
of  your  team  and  yourself  at  only  $2  per  day  and  by  your  nearness  to 
town  are  able  to  make  the  round  trip  in  half  a  day  instead  of  a  day  as 


/ 


14 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


from  the  $2,000  farm,  you  would  save  52  half  days  of  a  value  of  $52 
each  year. 

"Aside  from  all  the  above  advantages,  the  extra  size  of  the  pasture 
would  enable  you  to  take  in  ten  or  more  cattle  each  year  at  about  $35 
a  season. 

"Can  you  imagine  a  year  when  the  value  of  the  extra  hay  that  this 
farm  cuts  would  be  less  than  $100? 

"Take  these  fruit  trees  which  are  good  for  an  average  of  $1.00  a 
year  each  and  there  are  100  more  trees  in  this  orchard  than  in  that  on 
the  $2,000  farm.  Surely  you  will  not  let  the  small  item  of  $33  a  year 
stand  between  you  and  all  these  money-making  advantages! 

"Moreover,  isn't  it  worth  ten  cents  a  day  to  enjoy  the  feeling  that 
this  beautiful  farm  property  is  yours?" 

This  line  of  reasoning  was  particularly  strong.  It  changed  the  idea 
of  the  first  cost  from  $2,000  to  $33.  Twist  these  ideas  to  suit  cases, 
keeping  in  mind  the  amount  of  money  your  prospect  has  to  invest  and 
write  us  whether  or  not  they  make  sales  for  you. 

Avoid  the  Word  "Commission." 

Never  use  the  word  "commission"  in  talking  to  a  prospective  cus- 
tomer. Do  not  tell  anyone  what  commission  you  make  on  any  sale. 
Do  not,  in  any  way,  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  prospective  customer  the 
fact  that  you  are  going  to  make  money  if  he  buys  a  farm  through  you.  He 
knows  you  are,  of  course,  but  just  as  soon  as  you  mention  anything 
about  your  end  of  it,  a  prospective  customer  will  at  once  become  sus- 
picious. You  can  never  do  business  in  a  satisfactory  manner  when 
suspicion  exists. 

Time  to  Bind  the  Trade. 

The  time  to  bind  the  trade  is  when  the  buyer  says  he  will  take  the 
farm.  That  is  the  moment  for  you  to  act.  Whether  it  is  out  in  the 
field  or  on  the  road  makes  no  difference.  Right  then  and  there  make 
out  your  agreement  blanks  and  take  his  money  to  bind  the  trade ;  always 
get  as  much  cash  as  you  can. 

If  the  customer  has  no  cash  but  has  a  good  watch,  take  that  with 
a  note.  If  a  customer  has  only  $5  cash,  take  that  and  his  note  for  $95 
or  $195,  making  a  deposit  of  $100  or  $200  on  the  property.  Sometimes 
that  note  will  make  the  sale  go  through  when  the  customer  would  sacrifice 
the  $5  casih.  We  are  better  off  to  have  even  his  note  alone,  though  it  is 
worthless,  than  we  are  to  have  nothing. 

However,  you  should  not  at  this  time  take  the  customer's  note  for 
more  than  $200,  or  15%  of  the  purchase  price.  If  you  take  too  large 
a  note  to  bind  the  trade  the  courts  will  not  enforce  payment,  while 
they  will  enforce  it  on  a  small  note. 


1- 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


IS 


There  is  every  reason,  however,  why  you  should  get  a  good-sized 
deposit  to  bind  your  trade.  Many  times  a  deposit  of  this  kind  will  insure 
the  completion  of  a  sale  which,  if  the  deposit  had  been  smaller,  would 
have  been  allowed  to  go  by  default.  One  of  our  older  agents,  who  has 
made  a  marked  success  of  our  real  estate  business,  makes  a  practice  of 
getting  fully  ten  per  cent,  on  amounts  over  $4,000  and,  where  the  selling 
price  is  less  than  $4,000,  a  minimum  of  $400. 

"If,  after  signifying  his  willingness  to  make  a  deposit,"  said  this 
agent,  "I  find  that  the  customer  has  only  $50  or  $100  with  him  I  almost 
always  take  his  check  made  payable  to  me  as  agent,  for  the  balance 
of  the  deposit.  I  tell  him  then  that  I  will  present  this  check  right  away. 
If  I  think  there  is  a  possibility  of  a  check  not  being  good,  I  draw  a 
note  payable  to  me  on  demand  for  a  sufficient  amount  to  make  up  the  10 
per  cent.,  have  him  sign  it  and  tell  him  that  the  note  will  be  at  some 
bank  he  and  I  agree  upon  in  New  York  or  Brooklyn  or  wherever  he 
comes  from  and  that  he  should  go  there  and  pay  it.  I  have  never  had 
a  check  fall  down. 

"Another  point  is  when  to  get  your  commission.  Now,  the  time 
to  get  your  commission  from  the  farmer  is  the  first  crack  out  of  the 
box.  I  do  not  wait  until  the  title  passes,  for  then  there  are  a  lot  of 
excuses.  I  get  my  money  right  away.  I  always  get  $400.  Never  less 
than  that  amount.  I  always  get  enough  money  on  deposit  to  cover  my 
commission.  The  agent's  commission  is  due  when  the  agreement  is 
signed — and  every  day  after  that  means  a  little  harder  work  to  get  it. 
I  hope  that  the  newer  men  in  the  field  will  take  advantage  of  this  idea." 

Formal  Agreement  of  Sales  is  Important. 

We  must  never  overlook  the  importance  of  always  making  a  binding 
agreement  at  the  time  of  sale,  so  that  in  case  of  forfeit  we  will  be  entitled 
to  receive  the  same  amount  as  if  the  sale  had  been  completed. 

When  an  owner  and  a  buyer  enter  into  a  binding  agreement  a  sale  has 
been  made  and  our  commission  is  due.  A  sale  may  be  made  on  terms 
that  would  not  require  the  actual  transfer  or  the  passing  of  a  deed 
inside  of  a  number  of  years,  but  we  would  not  be  required  in  such  a 
case  to  wait  for  the  completion  of  the  sale  for  our  commission.  The 
best  thing  to  do  is  to  see  that  a  binding  agreement  is  made  and  then 
to  take  our  commission  out  of  the  first  deposit.  Then,  in  case  the  sale 
is  forfeited,  we  will  not  be  the  losers. 

There  have  been  instances  where  owners,  for  various  reasons,  have 
refused  to  deliver  deeds  even  after  making  binding  agreements  with 
buyers  and  in  some  cases  where  deposits  have  been  paid  to  owners,  rather 
than  wait  indefinitely  to  get  possession,  buyers  take  back  the  deposit  and 
look  elsewhere  for  property. 


I  I 


g  SUCCESS   SELLING  FARMS. 

'     In  cases  of  this  kind,  we  are  entitled  ^^ ^^^l^^^^^^^^^ 
nothing  else  than  the  —  ^o^^l^^^^S^^^^^Z  the  ag^ee 
The  owner  should  be  S^'f" jj^^jf^  ^^  ^^,  commission  even  in  case  of 

ment  has  been  signed,  we  will  «^P«i  °"  ^^  „£  the  buyer  or 

forfeit  without  respect  to  cause,  whether  due  to  an  a« 

seller.  Qet  the  First  Deposit.  ,    .      ,    j 

Whenever  possible,  have  -  ^  ^5?  it  u^S  ^e^l  t^:^- 

tor  between  the  buyer  -J -"" '"J/^t^^J^rey  L  forfehed,  you  can 
.he  sale  is  completed.  jUso   m  ca^e  th    m      y^^^^^  ^^  ^^.^^  ^^^.^^^. 

deduct  the  amount  to  which  we  are  emu  ^^^ 

to  collect  it  from  the  owner  who  is  often  slow  to  pay.    b 

of  the  first  payment  ^'f  .^^^^ ^  ZZTJ^Z^^  the  first  deposit 
it  is  only  reasonable  and  just  that  ^e  receive  ,  commission 

is  made.    If  the  first  payment  >s  sufficient  ^^^^^'^  ^^^     ,^^  ,,  ,,  .^^h. 

a  loss  of  the  same.  >, 

(See  Form  194-Agreement  of  Sale,  on  page  41.) 

Know  Your  Goods. 
Excellent  Advice  fron,  One  of  ^"^^^:^'C:'^::^.,. 
"I  know  every  foot  of  land,  where  the  fif^!  ^^^^^"^^^uyer  woidd 
,00k,  the  source  of  the  water  supply,  'f^^^f^;Z?slidZ.  of  our 

..nt  to  --:;^^-:-X''^l^:^St  e"he  methods  which 
most  successful  agents  ^^^^^^^^  ^  ^st  month  after  month, 

had  enabled  him  to  head  ^^^f^J^'^^^  ^o  make  sales/'  said  he. 

m  we  don't  know  our  goods  we  ^^"^^.^/^P^^'  ^^     everything  there  is 
^«I  walk  carefully  over  -ry^-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  the  owner, 

to  be  learned  about  them.    At  the  same  time      g  ^ 

lower  price  -f  -^^^  ^   ,7;^,,,  secret.    Know  your  goods  thor- 
tion  then  and  there.    That  ^^  ^he  wn  ^^  ^.^^^^ 

oughly  and  get  your  price  and  your  terms  rigni  w        y 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


17 


When  you  do  this  you  will  not  have  much  trouble  to  make  a  sale.  Just 
to  sell  a  farm  is  the  easiest  thing  an  agent  can  do,  because  the  E.  A.  Strout 
Company  sends  the  buyer  right  up  to  our  doors  with  the  money  in  his 
pockets.  All  we  have  to  do  is  to  show  him  what  he  wants,  and  if  we 
know  our  goods  and  have  seen  to  it  that  the  price  and  the  terms  are 
right,  the  sale  is  made." 

Good  Agents  Keep  Posted. 
Never  allow  yourself  to  be  unable  to  answer  clearly  and  promptly 
any  question  a  prospective  customer  may  ask  you  regarding  local  prices 
and  conditions.     One  of  our  star  agents  in  New  England  recently  told 
me  that  when  he  began  in  the  business  he  spent  a  great  deal  of  time 
making  himself  thoroughly   familiar  with  the  express  rates  to  Boston 
on  berries,  early  peas  and  summer  apples.     He  also  got  the  rate  per 
carload  for  second-hand  furniture   from  several  large  cities  like  New 
York,  Boston  and  Philadelphia  to  his  town ;  likewise  the  freight  rates  per 
carload  and  per  hundred  on  apples,  potatoes,  cabbages  and  other  farm 
products  which  the  farmers  from  his  section  were  shipping  to  the  market 
over  the  railroad.    He  also  posted  himself  on  the  prices  paid  for  various 
kinds  of  logs  delivered  at  the  saw  mill  and  he  found  out  just  what  was 
being  paid  at  the  depot  for  pulp  wood  and  cord  wood  for  fuel.    By  having 
all  this  information  right  at  his  finger  ends,  he  was  able  to  answer  the 
many  inquiries  regarding  these  things  which  prospective  customers  often 
made. 

If  you  can  give  your  prospect  detailed  information  regarding  all  the 
local  conditions  that  he  is  inquiring  about,  he  will  not  be  trying  to  find 
someone  else  around  town  to  give  him  that  information. 

How  to  Handle  Advertised  Properties  That  Have  Been  Sold. 

When  an  advertised  property  has  been  sold  or  withdrawn  it  does  not 
mean  that  its  usefulness  is  at  an  end.  We  take  great  pains  to  avoid 
advertising  sold  or  withdrawn  properties,  but  some  places  are  sold  after 
the  catalogue  is  on  the  press  and  then  it  is  too  late  to  make  a  change.  In 
such  cases,  do  not  hesitate  to  get  the  prospect  on  the  ground,  as  you  cer- 
tainly will  have  on  your  list  another  property  that  comes  near  enough  to 
that  for  which  the  customer  is  looking,  so  that  you  can  show  it  to 
advantage. 

When  the  customer  arrives,  explain  to  him  fully  the  circumstances 
of  the  sale  and  if  he  wishes  drive  him  direct  to  the  property  that  has  been 
sold.  You  can  say  to  him :  "Let's  look  this  over  together  and  then  com- 
pare it  with  another  place  which  I  have  recently  listed  and  which  I  am 
sure  will  be  much  more  satisfactory  to  you  than  this  one."  You  know 
all  the  good  points  about  the  farm  you  are  going  to  show  him  and  you 
know  a  good  many  poor  ones  about  the  farm  that  has  been  sold,  and  it 
is  up  to  you  to  put  it  up  to  your  customer  without  misrepresentation, 


jg  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

L  *«  h.  .ill  ...1  .to.  .1." ""  «■«  >«"  '"^t h  te  b";.',"" "  ""■ 

„.'iu^t«u*in. ..»-;-  -  -  r  .'to.  r- 

you  tell  him  is  correct.  ^^^  ^j^^  j    yj^^. 

Similar  -^SO^-^^^l^ZtTZ^  LThm'understand  that  he  will 
about  a  property  that  has  been  soia.  _  compare 

have  an  opportunity  to  see  the  ^'°^fl^''l^;;^^Zonhi^  your  belief 
it  with  the  one  you  -<>-^^^\^ ^^Z' :^',::^:;iT..nt  hfm  to  pur- 
:tl%rvT"ra:;ne^s  Ini^lUnt^ss  to  sho^w  him  both  will  maWe 
him  ready  to  hear  w^^jou^^ave^-^-^^^  ^^^^ 

One  of  the  most  delicate  situations  the  new  agent  will  find  himself 
in  Si  be    he  Arrangement  of  terms  of  sale  between  the  owner  and 

.sh    as  rJ"    o    o^r  contracts  provide  for  a  minimum  payment  of 
cash,  as  most  oi  uui  r  ;nfrpnvientlv    however,  it  is 

somewhere  between  those  two  sums,    ^ot   "freque^n^^^^ 

•ui     f^  ;nHiirf'  an  owner  anxious  to  sell  to  accept  a  niu 
possibl    to   "d^«  ^\7^^^,d  agree  to  accept  at  the  time  h.s  property 
amount  of  «/•  *an  he  w  g  ^.^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^.^^  ^^^ 

xri?  will  ':.".".<.  .1..  Ki-  »<  p""  •"" '"-  "'"■ '" "' 

an  actual  buyer  for  his  property. ' 

Insurance  Policies. 

1  io    ,.rMi   <;hould  see  that  the  interests  of  our 

When  you  make  a  sale,^^^^^^^  ^'^^^^^^^^      insurance  pohcies  prop- 
customers  are  properly  protected  by  naving  ^^^^^^ 

erly  transferred.    Unless  you  ^;;^^J^l^'^^^  it  will  be 

days  or  weeks  before  the  purchaser  will  think  oi  ii,  ai     ^        p 

overlooked  entirely. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


19 


When  the  owner  is  notified  to  prepare  the  deed  he  should  also  be 
notified  to  apply  to  the  company  in  which  the  buildings  are  insured  for 
consent  to  transfer  his  policy  to  the  buyer,  and  when  the  deed  is  delivered, 
the  policy,  either  with  an  endorsement  or  an  assignment  accompanied  by 
the  Insurance  Company's  consent  to  the  transfer,  should  be  delivered  to 
the  purchaser. 

Sales  are  sometimes  seriously  delayed  and  often  there  is  danger  of 
them  falling  through  because  of  failure  of  the  agent  to  attend  to  details 
regarding  insurance  papers  at  the  time  it  should  be  done.  It  is  just  as 
much  a  part  of  an  agent's  business  to  see  that  the  insurance  policy  is 
assigned  and  ready  for  delivery  at  the  time  set  for  settlement  as  it  is  to 
see  that  the  deed  is  executed  properly. 

By  attending  to  this  detail,  we  will  often  avoid  misunderstandings 
and  vexatious  delays  as  well  as  protect  our  buyers  from  the  risk  of 
the  total  loss  of  their  buildings  by  fire. 

Have  the  Tax  Receipts  Ready. 

At  the  time  of  the  settlement,  in  addition  to  the  usual  papers,  you 
should  have  the  seller's  tax  receipts  or  duplicate  receipts  for  the  two 
years  previous  to  the  sale.  These  will  generally  be  accepted  as  sufficient 
evidence  that  there  are  no  back  taxes  to  be  paid. 

It  costs  nothing  to  insist  on  the  seller  having  all  necessary  papers 
ready  at  the  appointed  time  and  occasionally  it  will  save  the  loss  of 
a  sale. 

To  Our  New  Agents. 

Please  have  it  thoroughly  understood  in  your  section  that  you  are 
representing  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company.  Station  agents,  telegraph  offices 
and  operators,  post-masters,  telephone  exchanges,  rural  free  delivery 
carriers,  stage  drivers,  etc.,  should  be  given  this  information  so  that 
arriving  prospects  will  have  no  difficulty  in  locating  you. 

Good  signs  placed  near  the  station,  with  instruction  how  to  find  you, 
will  help  not  only  in  making  you  known  to  outside  customers,  but  at 
the  same  time  will  greatly  assist  you  in  listing. 

In  Posting  Signs. 

Be  sure  to  observe  state  laws  regarding  posting  signs  on  posts,  fences 
and  trees  in  the  public  highways.  In  every  state  it  is  legal  after  obtaining 
the  owner's  permission  to  place  signs  on  trees  and  buildings  on  private 
land  along  the  highways. 

Let  Everybody  Know. 

Make  it  your  business  to  see  that  everybody,  not  only  in  your  home 
town,  but  in  the  surrounding  territory  in  which  you  expect  to  work, 
know  of  your  appointment  as  the  local  Strout  representative.  Keep  your 
name  and  your  business  before  them  at  all  times  and  in  every  way 
possible. 


20 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


See  that  your  appointment  as  the  Strout  agent  is  chronicled  in  the 
local  newspapers  and  endeavor  from  time  to  time  to  have  news  items 
published  regarding  you  and  your  business  activity.  Always  procure 
the  publication  in  these  newspapers  of  a  report  of  every  sale  you  make. 

When  you  start  out  to  list  your  first  farms,  don't  introduce  yourself 
to  an  owner  by  saying  that  you  are  getting  a  list  of  farms  to  advertise 
and  try  to  sell.  Tell  him  instead,  that  you  have  many  men  coming  to 
visit  you  in  a  short  time  to  buy  farms  that  you  are  now  ''selecting"  for 
them.  Stated  in  this  way,  you  will  have  your  man's  attention  and  his 
opinion  of  you  will  go  "sky  rocketing." 

Anyone  can  list  farms,  but  it  is  not  every  one  who  is  going  to  be 
rushing  about  over  the  country  with  out-of-state  buyers. 

You  are  "selecting"  farms.  That  will  convey  to  the  owner's  mind 
right  away  the  thought  that  he  must  offer  his  farm  very  reasonably 
or  it  may  not  be  "selected"  as  one  of  the  desirable  ones  to  show  your 
coming  prospects. 

Talk  with  him  about  his  farm  and  finally  tell  him  as  though  you 
were  conferring  a  favor  that  you  like  his  place  well  enough  to  list  it, 
provided  he  makes  the  right  price.  Get  him  to  make  what  he  claims 
to  be  his  lowest  price,  if  you  can,  before  you  say  anything  about  terms. 
When  you  have  the  lowest  price  he  will  give,  remark:  "Well,  you  are 
planning  to  pay  me  five  per  cent,  (or  whatever  the  usual  percentage  in 
your  section  may  be)."  Nine  times  out  of  ten,  the  owner  will  reply 
in  the  affirmative,  and  you  can  then  remark,  "That  will  leave  you  exactly 
so  and  so,"  and  set  it  down  in  the  agreement.  Then  go  ahead  and 
explain  that  you  are  not  an  ordinary  agent;  that  you  take  the  farm  at 
a  figure  net  to  him  and  of  course  he  does  not  care  what  you  sell  it  for, 
as,  in  any  event,  he  will  receive  exactly  the  net  price  agreed  upon. 

Above  all  things,  make  him  feel  that  you  are  the  real  "i8-karat  dia- 
mond studded"  ^article.  Make  him  feel  proud  to  be  dealing  with  you, 
and  he  will  let  most  of  his  neighbors  know  that  he  is  acquainted  with 
you  inside  of  forty-eight  hours. 

If  you  have  been  in  this  work  two  months  and  are  not  one  of  the 
most  talked-of-men  in  the  county,  you  need  a  big  twenty-grain  dose 
of  confidence.  Don't  say  to  yourself:  "Well,  I  won't  say  much  about 
this.    I'll  Hst  a  few  of  my  friends'  farms  and  see  what  I  can  do." 

There  are  numbers  of  you  agents  working  with  that  bee  under  your 
shirt  collar.    You  know  it  is  a  fact.    That  is  why  customers  come  to  the 

office  with  "I  was  up  to  X yesterday.     Hunted  all  over  the  town 

and  couldn't  find  your  agent.  No  one  seemed  to  know  you  had  a  repre- 
sentative there."  How  many  owners  living  within  a  few  miles  of  you 
don't  know  that  you  are  the  man  who  can  sell  farms? 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


21 


Make  Yourself  Known. 

If  you  have  been  dilly-dallying  along  as  though  you  were  ashamed 
of  your  business,  for  heaven's  sake,  brace  up!  Go  after  'em!  Get  out 
on  the  side  lines  and  root!  Talk  shop  with  every  one  you  meet.  Give 
it  to  them  strong.  Feed  bright,  optimistic  talk  in  short  doses,  but  often. 
Go  to  every  store,  sihop  and  bank  in  town  and  introduce  yourself.  Tell 
the  proprietors  and  the  clerk  all  about  the  great  work  you  are  entering 
upon.  Make  it  plain  to  them  that  you  are  going  to  do  more  to  benefit 
their  section  than  any  one  has  ever  before  attempted.  You  are  going 
to  bring  in  new  settlers  who  will  improve  the  farms,  increase  the  value 
of  property,  prove  good  customers  for  the  stores  and  clients  for  the 
banks.  Leave  some  advertising  with  them  and  ask  them  to  help  you 
in  establishing  your  business  by  sending  settlers  and  buyers  to  you. 

When  you  are  first  starting  in 


A  Silent  Helper. 

The  following  advertisement  run 
in  your  local  paper  a  few  weeks  will 
help  you  list  farms.     Try  it. 

Electrotype  will  be  sent  you  free 
on  request   from  the  New  York  office. 


business  and  get  an  inquiry  from 
one  of  our  offices  or  through  the 
Confidential  List,  take  that  inquiry 
in  your  hand  and  hustle  up  to  a  few 
of  the  men  along  the  street  or  in 
the  stores  and  ask  if  they  know  of 
a  property  that  will  suit  this  pros- 
pect. Make  a  stir — keep  the  people 
interested.  Hail  them  coming  and 
going  and  throw  so  much  confidence 
and  enthusiasm  into  your  work  that 
you  will  beget  confidence  and  en- 
thusiasm in  everyone  you  meet.  If 
some  croaker  remarks  that  you 
haven't  made  a  sale  yet,  tell  him 
that  you  haven't  begun  to  fight. 
Tell  him  that  you  are  having  all  you 
can  do  to  keep  the  buyers  off  until 
you  are  ready  for  them.  Tell  him 
any  old  thing  to  make  him  under- 
stand that  you  are  going  to  do  business  and  do  it  right. 

The  larger  the  business  undertaking  the  longer  it  takes  to  launch  it. 
A  lawyer  or  a  doctor  thinks  he  has  done  well  if  he  makes  expenses 
the  second  year.  If  you  do  not  make  a  sale  as  soon  as  you  might  wish, 
it  is  no  excuse  for  you  to  lose  confidence  or  speak  doubtfully  about 
your  business  prospects.  Smile,  hold  up  your  head  and  defy  anyone 
to  cast  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  on  your  ultimate  success. 

Greatest  of  all  be  confident.     Doubt  makes  cowards  and   failures. 
Confidence  makes  heroes  and,  best  of  all,  it  makes  money. 


You  don't  want  for  the 
CASH  you  do  through  the 

World's  Largest  Farm  Agency 

Thousands  of  sales  everywhere  prove  right  methods. 
No  advance  fee  required.  Write  our  nearest  office  or 
agent  today  for  free  listing  blanks. 

E.  A.  STROUT  COMPANY 

47  W.  34th  SU  NEW  YORK 
Boston     Philadelphia  Pittsbura 

OldSoathBldp.  Uad Title  Bldg.  Uaion  Bank  Bldg. 

J.  C.  BARR,  Agent 
Weston,  Ohio. 


i 


t 


22 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


When  You  Make  a  Sale. 

Just  as  soon  as  you  sell  a  property,  fix  in  some  conspicuous  place, 
on  the  bam,  for  instance,  one  of  our  signs,  "Sold  by  E.  A.  Strout  Co.," 
which  will  be  furnished  you  upon  request;  and  at  the  same  time  place 
in  the  newspapers  a  notice  something  like  this :  "The  E.  A.  Strout  Com- 
pany, through  their  local  representative,  John  Smith,  reports  the  sale 
of  the  Joseph  Brannan  farm  to  William  Golden  of  Newark,  N.  J." 
Advertising  of  this  kind  calls  the  attention  of  property  owners  to  the 
fact  that  you  are  making  sales,  and  no  one  thing  will  help  you  more 
than  this  to  list  properties. 

HAVE  YOU  A  COMPETITOR? 
Reports  on  What  Our  Competitors  Are  Doing  Will  Help  Us  in 
Placing  Our  Advertising  to  the  Best  Advantage. 
We  want  you  to  be  kind  enough  to  send  us,  if  it  is  at  all  convenient, 
a  report  at  the  end  of  each  month,  giving  us  the  number  of  sales  made 
in  your  district  by  our  competitors,  the  name  of  the  competitor  making 
the  sale,  the  name  of  the  owner  of  each  property  sold,  the  amount  of 
sale,  and  the  name  and  address  of  each  purchaser.  Information  of  this 
kind  is  of  great  value  to  us.  Try  and  get  this  information  for  us  and 
just  as  soon  as  you  have  it  compiled  at  the  end  of  each  month,  send  it 
along.    We  will  appreciate  your  compliance  with  this  request. 

List  Low  Price  Properties. 
In  listing  properties  you  should  proceed  as  quickly  as  possible  to 
secure  all  the  low-priced  properties  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  from 
your  depot.  In  doing  this  it  is  always  well  to  start  at  the  depot  and 
;iist  in  all  directions.  In  opening  up  a  section,  it  is  always  best  to  list 
as  many  low-priced  properties  as  possible,  as  they  draw  better.  When 
you  have  sent  us  a  list  of  twenty-five  properties,  we  will  begin  to  push 
your  best  bargains.  We  advertise  in  the  papers  properties  described  in 
our  publications,  and  in  this  way  reach  the  buying  public.  All  inquirers 
to  such  advertisements  are  furnished  with  a  copy  of  the  publication 
containing  descriptions  of  the  properties  advertised.  The  larger  your  Hst 
of  descriptions  of  properties  the  better  will  be  your  chances  of  making 
sales  and  the  more  advertising  you  will  get  from  this  office. 

Successful  Salesmen  Can  List. 
In  starting  out  to  list  properties,  please  bear  in  mind  these  facts : 
We  have  over  loo  agents  selling  properties  successfully  under  the 
same  instructions  as  given  you.  The  agents  who  have  failed  are  those 
who  were  not  successful  in  listing  properties.  An  admission  on  the 
part  of  an  agent  that  he  is  unable  to  list  properties  is  also  an  admission 
of  the  fact  that  he  is  not  a  real  salesman.  Any  man  can  take  orders, 
but  a  salesman  is  necessary  when  goods  are  to  be  introduced  and  sold 
in  a  new  territory.     We  are  the  only  real  estate  company  engaged  in 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


23 


the  work  of  building  up  a  real  estate  business  through  agents  who  are 
residents  of  their  respective  localities.  No  one  could  possibly  offer  you 
a  better  opportunity  to  build  for  yourself  a  successful  business.  We 
have  more  customers  looking  for  farms  and  country  homes  than  all 
the  rest  of  the  real  estate  companies  combined.  This  is  an  acknowledged 
fact  and  is  verified  by  the  larger  number  of  sales  we  are  making  and 
the  thousands  of  inquiries  we  are  receiving  monthly  at  our  different 
offices  from  parties  who  are  interested  in  buying  country  property. 

Get  a  Low  Net  Price. 
When  listing  a  property  bring  into  play  your  best  qualities  as  a 
buyer ;  for  upon  the  price  at  which  the  property  is  listed  we  must  base 
our  commission.  The  lower  the  property  is  listed  the  better  your  chances 
of  getting  a  fair  commission  on  the  sale.  If  you  are  not  thoroughly 
familiar  with  local  values,  make  it  your  business  to  become  so  at  once 
and  then  use  your  knowledge  in  getting  the  lowest  possible  net  price 
in  every  listing. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  to  list  a  property  on  withdrawal  is  greatly 
to  your  advantage.  Even  if  the  fee  is  only  $25,  a  withdrawal  clause  in 
the  agreement  keeps  the  property  in  our  hands  and  not  only  gives  us 
a  better  chance  to  sell  it,  but  at  the  same  time  helps  to  eliminate  com- 

P'''''°"-  Where  to  List. 

Experience  has  proven  it  inadvisable   for  agents  to  list  properties 

more  than  fifteen  miles  from  their  homes.     It  is  no  use  to  attempt  to 

^handle  property  when  it  is  located  too  far  away  to  be  conveniently  shown 

by  team.  _  .     .     ^,         ^^ 

Concentrate  Your  Efforts. 

In  showing  properties  to  prospects  who  come  to  you,  always  select 
one  or  two  places  which  you  believe  will  come  nearest  to  meeting  the 
prospect's  requirements  and  give  all  your  attention  and  energy  to  showing 
those  places. 

Always  bear  in  mind  the  desirability  of  impressing  a  prospect  with 
the  idea  that  only  a  few  properties  in  your  section  are  on  the  market 
for  the  reason  that  the  owners  are  perfectly  satisfied  and  have  no  desire 
to  change  to  any  other  farming  section.  The  moment  you  get  the  idea 
into  a  prospect's  mind  that  the  section  he  is  visiting  is  one  where  farmers 
are  prosperous  and  contented  it  will  naturally  create  in  him  a  desire 
to  buy  in  that  section,  providing  you  can  show  him  something  that  will 
mean  a  good  living  to  him  and  at  the  same  time  come  within  reach  of 
his  pocketbook.  Create  in  the  visitor's  mind  the  idea  that  only  a  few 
properties  in  your  town  and  in  the  surrounding  country  are  for  sale. 

Don't  throw  out  your  ohest  like  a  foolish  schoolboy  and  start  in  to 
brag  about  what  a  lot  of  property  you  have  listed.  Don't  start  in  by 
trying  to  impress  your  customer  with  what  a  smart  man  you  are.     You 


24  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

are  out  to  sell  him  a  farm.  Don't  try  to  bluff  the  stranger.  Talk  to 
him  the  same  as  you  would  talk  to  your  next-door  neighbor  who  was 
in  school  with  you  and  has  known  you  all  your  life.  You  would  not 
try  to  put  on  any  false  front  before  that  lifelong  friend.     Don't  try 

it  with  the  stranger. 

How  a  Sale  was  Lost. 

A  customer  must  not  only  believe  that  he  is  buying  a  good  farm, 
but  also  that  he  is  buying  in  a  good  locality.  Never  give  prospective 
buyers  an  idea  that  your  whole  section  is  for  sale.  A  prospective  cus- 
stomer  recently  came  into  our  New  York  office  on  his  way  home  after 
visiting  one  of  our  agents.  We  were  naturally  interested  in  knowing 
whether  he  had  found  a  property  to  his  liking.  On  inquiring,  he  gave 
us  this  reply :  "I  visited  your  agent  and  I  must  say  he  has  some  very 
good  propositions.  One  or  two  properties  in  particular  I  liked  very 
much.  I  did  not  buy,  however,  for  the  reason  that  I  could  not  under- 
stand why  so  many  owners  seemed  anxious  to  sell  and  at  what  appeared 
to  be  very  reasonable  prices.  Your  agent  told  me  that  he  had  a  large 
number  of  properties  for  sale,  and  in  driving  with  him  to  look  over 
one  or  two  particular  propositions  in  which  I  was  interested  he  pomted 
out  nearly  every  property  we  passed  as  being  listed  with  him  for  sale. 
I  do  not  want  to  locate  in  a  section  where  everybody  seems  anxious 

to  move  out." 

Watch  Your  Prospective  Customers. 

One  of  our  most  successful  agents  recently  told  us  his  plan  for 
handling  prospective  customers  who  visit  his  section.  "I  meet  my  cus- 
tomers at  the  station  or  trolleys  and  then  take  them  immediately  to 
my  home.  If  it  is  evening  when  they  arrive  I  try  to  entertam  them 
until  it  is  time  to  retire.  If  it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  entertain  them 
over  night,  I  see  that  they  are  comfortably  quartered  at  some  good  hotel 
or  at  a  neighbor's  house,  in  which  case  I  get  around  in  the  morning  in 
good  season  before  they  have  time  to  loaf  around  in  the  streets  or  in  the 
hotel  office.    That  is  where  the  trouble  is  made." 

No  matter  how  much  confidence  you  have  in  the  owner,  don't  let 
the  owner  and  the  buyer  go  off  together  in  looking  over  the  farm  unless 
you  are  with  them.  Of  course,  there  are  farmers  you  can  trust  to  do 
this,  but,  as  a  general  rule,  don't  do  it.  Never  leave  the  customer  alone 
a  minute  while  he  is  in  town  if  you  can  possibly  avoid  doing  so. 

Good  Advice. 

The  new  agents  can  do  no  better  than  to  follow  the  advice  of.  some 
of  our  older  men  whose  success  as  real  estate  agents  is  firmly  estab- 
lished Here  is  a  bit  of  advice  given  by  one  of  them  and  will,  without 
doubt,  be  endorsed  by  you.  He  says :  "When  you  get  a  prospect  landed 
keep  him  contented.     I  depend  upon  all  prospects  to  whom  I  have  sold 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


25 


to  help  me  land  others,  and  they  do."    The  satisfied  customer  will  help 
you,  too. 

Pay  Fare  Only  One  Way. 

A  misunderstanding  of  the  Company's  intentions  with  reference  to 
the  Free  Fare  Bond  in  several  instances  has  resulted,  not  only  in  unnec- 
essary and  unwarranted  expense  both  to  the  Company  and  to  the  agent, 
but  also  has  brought  about  undesired  controversies  with  our  customers. 
As  is  plainly  stated  in  all  advertising  matter  referring  to  the  Free  Fare 
Bond,  the  Company  binds  itself  to  pay  the  fare  from  the  home  of  the 
customer  to  any  property  he  may  buy  through  the  Company,  the  distance 
in  no  case  to  exceed  1,000  miles.  Frequently  we  have  been  asked  by 
a  buyer  to  extend  the  free  fare  privilege  to  other  members  of  his  family. 
This,  of  course,  we  cannot  do.  One  fare  one  way  to  each  sale  where 
demanded  by  purchaser — not  one  cent  more;  the  Company  stands  half, 
the  agent  half. 

Do  not  allow  railroad  fares  until  buyers  have  taken  deed.  This  is 
in  accordance  with  the  terms  plainly  stated  on  the  Free  Fare  Bond. 
When  the  buyer  demands  his  fare  at  the  time  of  purchase,  simply  tell 
him  or  her  that  the  fare  will  be  forthcoming  as  soon  as  the  title  passes 
to  the  property. 

Send  Check  with  Orders  for  Special  Supplies. 

Agents  must  accompany  their  orders  for  special  supplies  with  a 
check  covering  the  cost.  The  innumerable  small  charges  would  add  a 
great  deal  of  work  to  our  bookkeeping  department,  already  heavily 
burdened.  While  the  individual  sums  are  small,  taken  as  a  whole  they 
amount  to  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  course  of  a  year — many 
thousands  of  dollars  of  the  Company's  money  tied  up  in  charges  on 
the  books  when  in  reality  they  should  be  out  working  for  more  business 
for  the  Company  and  for  you.  It  requires  a  great  deal  of  money — real 
hard  dollars — every  week,  to  keep  up  our  business-getting  campaign,  and 
we  are  using  every  dollar  we  can  spare  in  pushing  that  campaign  to 
the  limit.  We  cannot  afford,  nor  can  you,  to  have  these  dollars  con- 
stantly tied  up  in  petty  charges. 

It  will  be  to  our  mutual  interest  to  keep  that  permanent  debit  account 
as  low  as  possible,  so  we  trust  you  will  do  your  part  in  helping  us  to 
keep  it  down. 

Advertising  Material. 

In  preparing  material  for  personal  circulars,  catalogues,  supplements, 
leaflets,  fliers,  etc.,  please  keep  in  mind  the  points  mentioned  in  the 
following  letter,  which  was  sent  out  as  a  call  for  material  for  our  Spring 
Catalogue.  If  you  will  keep  these  suggestions  before  you  and  will  observe 
them  when  preparing  material  for  catalogues,  etc.,  there  will  be  no 
question  about  the  success  of  your  agency: 


26 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


I 


Mr.  OntThe-Job,  Hustleville,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Mr.  On-The-Job:  Our  Spring  catalogue  will  be  the  shape  and 
size  of  that  big  business-getter  "List  19"  and  the  subject  matter  and 
descriptions  for  same  will  be  arranged  about  as  they  were  in  "Money- 
Making  Farms  No.  20"  which  made  the  "panic  year"  for  others  a  "banner 

year"  for  us.  u  •  u  • 

In  addition  to  the  pictures  and  descriptions  of  properties  which  in 
your  best  judgment  you  feel  it  is  advisable  for  us  to  advertise  in  our 
spring  catalogue,  please  send  in  at  the  same  time  a  good  write-up  of 
your  section  together  with  two  or  three  views  of  interesting  bits  of 
scenery.  If  you  can  send  along  a  few  money  stories  telling  how  farmers 
are  making  dollars  in  your  section,  giving  facts  and  figures  regarding 
crops,  productiveness,  yields,  income  per  acre,  etc.,  please  do  so. 

Give  Full  Information. 
Those  in  the  market  to  buy  farms  are  always  interested  in  "dollar 
talks."  They  want  to  know  what  the  farmers  are  receiving  in  your 
section  whether  they  are  prosperous,  social  conditions,  nearness  to  large 
cities,  markets,  and  in  fact,  just  the  very  things  you  yourself  would  want 
to  know  if  you  were  in  the  market  for  a  farm  and  had  your  attention 
called  to  some  particular  section  about  which  you  knew  nothing.  You 
would  not  want  to  buy  a  farm  unless  you  knew  all  about  the  things  we 
have  just  mentioned.  Put  yourself  in  the  place  of  the  man  who  is  in  the 
market  to  buy  and  give  him  the  information  he  wants,  in  fact,  the  in- 
formation he  must  have  before  he  will  evince  a  very  great  interest  in 

your  section. 

In  order  that  the  contract  under  which  you  are  working  may  result 
in  dollars  in  your  pocket  and  in  ours,  each  of  the  parties  to  the  contract 
must  faithfully  do  his  part.  If  you  will  list  up  the  properties  m  your 
section  following  along  the  lines  mentioned  in  our  letter  of  instructions 
and  will  comply  with  this  letter,  sending  to  us  the  desired  descriptions, 
pictures,  write-up  of  your  section,  along  with  any  "money  talk"  you  may 
be  able  to  get  together,  we  will  give  you  a  good  showing  in  our  catalogue. 
It  is  always  well  to  learn  the  "crawl  feature"  of  this  game  before  attempt- 
ing to  walk.  You  have  the  opportunity  to  make  a  good  many  dollars  this 
year.  The  reward  is  not  a  possibility.  It  is  sure.  It  comes  as  a  natural 
result  of  events  to  those  who  are  willing  to  co-operate  with  us  in  the  effort 
we  are  making  to  build  up  successful  country  real  estate  agencies.  Last 
year  we  sold  814  farms.  This  year  we  shall  sell  in  all  probability  more 
than  1,000  farms.  If  you  are  willing  to  do  you  share  of  the  work 
you  may  safely  figure  on  getting  your  share  of  this  business. 

It  Depends  upon  You. 

If  you  succeed  in  making  five  sales  out  of  the  spring  catalogue,  the 
next  catalogue  should  bring  you  in  ten  sales.     You  can  see,  therefore, 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS.  27 

how  necessary  it  is  to  read  this  letter  from  beginning  to  end,  not  once, 
but  many  times.  Find  out  what  it  means,  the  things  it  calls  for,  and 
then  Get  Busy.  If  you  do  not  intend  to  provide  us  with  the  material  we 
require  for  our  catalogues,  then  there  is  no  use  in  our  trying  to  help  you. 
The  men  who  succeed  are  the  men  who  help  themselves.  Now,  if  you 
will  help  yourself  to  the  extent  of  not  only  reading  this  letter  carefully, 
but  complying  with  it  in  every  detail,  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  but 
that  we,  on  our  part,  will  be  able  to  put  you  in  touch  during  the  next 
six  months  with  a  great  many  customers,  meaning  to  you  several  hundred 
dollars. 

Be  assured  of  one  thing.  This  is  not  "Hot  Air."  We  have  been 
in  this  business  ten  years.  Our  record  for  the  ten  years  is  marked  by 
thousands  of  sales  throughout  seventeen  states  by  our  100  successful 
agents.  What  we  have  done  for  others  we  can  do  for  you.  Now,  will 
you  help  yourself  to  the  extent  of  giving  us  the  material  with  which  to 
attract  customers  for  your  properties? 

Keep  Listing. 

If  you  have  not  already  listed  twenty-five  properties,  get  on  your 
buggy  seat  just  as  soon  as  you  can  and  spend  the  next  two  weeks  listing^ 
properties.  We  cannot  advertise  agents  who  have  less  than  twenty-five 
properties  listed  for  the  reason  that  we  do  not  care  to  send  our  customers 
to  agents  who  have  a  list  of  less  than  twenty-five  properties  to  offer. 
There  is  no  money  in  selling  unlisted  properties,  and  for  this  additional 
reason  we  do  not  want  our  customers  going  to  sections  where  agents  have 
only  unlisted  properties  to  show. 

In  sending  in  your  material  please  be  guided  in  your  selections  by 
the  instructions  given  in  this  letter.  We  desire  you  to  send  in  ten  written 
descriptions  even  if  you  have  only  twenty-five  properties  listed.  Out  of 
the  ten  we  will  select  the  descriptions  which  in  our  opinion  will  pull  the 
best.  As  our  friend  the  late  O.  Henry  said:  "It  is  up  to  you."  If  you 
place  any  value  on  the  contract  under  which  you  were  appointed  to  rep- 
resent us  you  will  give  this  matter  serious  consideration. 

Please  send  us  descriptions  and  photographs  for  ten  places  along 
the  following  lines: 

1.  One  property   $   800  or  Jess 

2.  One  property   1,000  to  $  1,500 

3.  One  property    1,500  to      2,000 

4.  One  property   2,000  to      2,500 

5.  One  property   2,500  to       3,000 

6.  One  property   3,000  to      4,000 

7.  One  property 4,000  to      5,000 

8-9.     Two  properties 6,000  to     10,000 

ID.     One  property   over     10,000 


28 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


29 


I 


At  least  one  of  these  places  should  be  a  poultry  farm  under  $2,500. 
There  should  be  one  good  fruit  proposition  between  $2,000  and  $8,000. 
The  description  of  this  farm  should  mention  the  amount  in  dollars  real- 
ized from  the  sale  of  fruit  in  one  season.  It  should  be  your  very  best 
fruit  proposition,  from  an  income  standpoint. 

Live  Stock  a  Drawing  Card. 

At  least  five  of  the  properties  should  have  live  stock  included.  Two 
should  be  the  largest  acreage  on  your  list  at  not  over  $20  an  acre. 
There  should  be  one  small  place  suitable  for  a  summer  home — small 
acreage,  near  water  and  railroad  station. 

Good  pictures  should  accompany  these  descriptions. 

You  cannot  spend  too  much  time  in  getting  first-class  photographs 
to  illustrate  your  descriptions.  If  necessary,  pay  a  good  professional 
photographer  to  take  the  pictures.  It  will  be  a  mighty  good  investment 
for  you. 

In  selecting  properties  to  be  advertised  in  the  catalogue,  you  should 
bear  in  mind  the  idea  of  confining  your  selection  to  those  properties 
worthy  of  being  advertised  in  the  newspapers.  Each  property  selected 
should  have  some  one  special,  unusual  feature.  In  writing  your  descrip- 
tions you  should  keep  this  in  mind  and  try  to  work  in  something  special 
regarding  each  particular  property  so  that  every  description  will  have 
an  attraction  possessed  by  very  few  places.     . 

Special  Features. 

Here  are  a  few  of  the  special  features  which  will  help  to  make  a 
description  pull: 

Three  miles  or  less  to  railroad  station. 

Good  photograph  of  buildings. 

Some  live  stock,  tools,  wagons,  growing  or  harvested  crops,  etc.,  in- 
cluded. 

Large  acreage  at  $20  an  acre  or  less,  even  though  it  is  a  dozen  miles 

to  depot. 

Large  hay  crops. 

If  a  farm  is  well  suited  for  taking  boarders,  say  so. 

What  rate  per  week  do  summer  boarders  pay? 

If  farmer  has  made  money  in  the  past  by  taking  summer  boarders, 
state  the  amount  in  any  one  season. 

Mention  the  good  fishing  when  there  happens  to  be  any. 

Wood  on  the  farm,  value  per  cord  at  nearest  railroad  station:  dis- 
tance to  same. 

If  there  is  timber  on  the  farm,  state  what  it  is  worth  per  M.  at 

nearest  mill  or  shipping  point. 

Large  and  commodious  barns  and  outbuildings. 

Buildings  in  good  repair. 

Half  cash,  or  even  easier  terms. 


^(^ 


(I' 


tit 


Where  insurance  on  the  buildings  is  within  75%   of  the  price  we 
are  asking  for  the  entire  property,  so  state. 
If  tax  rate  is  less  than  15  mills,  mention  it. 

Nearness  to  thriving  town  where  farmers  attend  Grange  meetings 
and  where  there  is  a  high  school,  good  churches  and  such  other  attrac- 
tions as  will  help  to  make  the  life  of  a  farmer  enjoyable. 

Exceedingly  good  returns  from  some  one  particular  source,  such  as: 
"This   property  produced  400  bushels   of   potatoes    from   one   acre 
last  year." 

"The  peach  trees  on  this  property  yielded  $600  last  season." 
'Last  year's  crops  of  apples  on  this  property  brought  in  $700." 
Twenty  cows  on  this  farm  brought  the  owner  $2,500  in  one  year." 
'One-half  acre  in  strawberries  on  this  farm  yielded  $600  in  one  year." 
You  can  double  the  pulling  force  of  descriptions  by  including  live 
stock,  such  as  cows,  horses  and  poultry. 

Put  in  all  the  personal  property  the  owner  is  willing  to  include.  Live 
stock  and  personal  property  pull  customers  to  you  like  a  Missouri  mule. 
The  above  are  a  few  of  the  features  which  will  make  a  description 
pull.  The  use  you  make  of  these  points,  together  with  those  on  the 
back  of  Form  159,  in  preparing  your  descriptions  for  the  catalogue  will 
have  much  to  do  with  your  success  this  year.  You  know  the  properties 
on  your  list  thoroughly  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  owner  can  point 
out  telling  selling  points  which  probably  never  would  occur  to  a  man 
writing  a  description  of  the  farm  from  the  bare  facts  given  on  the 
Agreement  Forms  115,  154  or  183. 

While  this  letter  was  being  dictated,  an  owner  of  a  listed  property 
came  into  our  office  and  called  attention  to  the  description  of  his  farm 
given  in  Catalogue  No.  28.  "If  you  had  brought  into  the  description 
all  the  special  features  connected  with  my  property,"  said  he,  "your 
agent  would  not  have  to  work  very  hard  to  eflfect  a  sale.  But  you  made 
no  mention  in  the  description  of  the  fact  that  my  buildings  are  in  excel- 
lent condition,  that  there  is  water  in  the  house  and  barn,  and  that  the 
land  is  almost  entirely  free  from  stones.  You  left  out  the  best  selling 
points." 

Careful  Preparation. 
This  indicates  the  advisability  of  the  agent  right  on  the  scene  prepar- 
ing the  descriptions  of  the  properties  to  be  advertised  in  our  catalogues 
and  also  of  submitting  every  description  to  the  owner  without  an  asking 
price  mentioned,  asking  him  if  there  is  anything  he  can  add  to  make  it 
more  attractive. 

An  owner  will  think  of  more  selling  features  about  his  property  in 
five  minutes  than  we  could  get  together  in  our  office  in  an  hour.  You 
and  the  owner  are  in  a  position  to  provide  us  with  an  ideal  description. 


- 


SUCCESS    SELLING    FARMS. 

Tell  the  truth  Allow  no  description  to  leave  your  hands  unless  you 
know  it  states  facts.  An  owner  will  oftentimes  lie  and  try  to  deceive 
vou  regarding  the  productiveness  of  his  farm  and  the  distance  from  the 
school    stores,  etc.     Don't  allow  them  to  pull  the  wool  over  your  eyes. 

Get  the  facts  and  tell  the  truth. 

Do  Not  Mention • 

Do  not  mention  in  your  description  anything  about  "hunting."  Say 
"good  fall  bird  shooting,"  "excellent  duck  shooting,"  "fine  fun  shooting 
squirrels,  rabbits,"  or  whatever  the  sport  is.  but  omit  the  word  .hunting. 
Make  no  reference  whatever  to  coon,  deer  or  fox  huntmg  for  the  reason 
ihat  a  farmer  does  not  want  to  locate  where  any  of  these  animals  are 
numerous,  on  account  of  the  injury  they  do  to  crops  and  podtry. 

Don't  try  to  work  in  all  these  good  points  in  any  one  advertisement 
It  would  make  the  advertisement  too  long.    One  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  words  is  enough  for  any  description.    Pick  one  or  two  puling 
points  regarding  each  property  about  which  you  are  gomg  to  write  a 
descriotion  and  present  these  points  strongly. 

Do  "ot  select  any  property  located  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 

from  your  home. 

Do  Not  Rush. 

Take  severaldays  to  write  and  rewrite  your  descriptions.     It  is  a 
clean  ooen  game.    If  you  win,  we  win.    If  you  lose,  we  lose.    It  is  m 
yr'hS  now  to  maL  our  spring  catalogue  a  strong  business-getten 
Please  send  your  descriptions  and  pictures  to  the  office  in  charge 
of  your  district.    For  instance,  if  you  are  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire 
Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island  or  eastern  Connecticut  send  your 
material  to  the  Boston  office.    If  you  are  in  western  Connecticut,  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  to  New  York;  Eastern  Penney  ™-^  ^'^/^ 
southern  states,  send  your  material  direct  to  our  Ph'ladelph  a  office.     I 
you  are  making  your  reports  to  our  Pittsburg  office,  please  send  your 
material  direct  to  Pittsburg;  if  to  Chicago,  send  them  there. 

Preparing  Advertising  Material. 
In  writing  letters  and  preparing  descriptions  of  P^perties  for  cir- 
culars Ilway!  make  your  asking  price   an   even   hundreds   of   dollars. 
N  ver  make  a  price  of  $825,  $850  or  $875.     Always  make  the  price 
fhe  nexreven  hundred,  which  in  this  case  would  be  $900.     Odd  dollars 
n  prS  make  only  an  excuse  for  a  customer  to  ^fr  the  next  even 
hundred  lower,  thinking  he  can  get  you  to  take  oflfthe  odd  doll^. 
Never  make  the  asking  price  $2,200,  $3,300,  $4,400,  $5,500,  $6,600, 
etc.,  but  make  it  $2,300,  $3,400,  $4,500,  $5,600,  $6,700,  etc. 

Boom  Your  Section. 
Our  agents  can  help  the  Advertising  Department  greatly  by  sending 
in.  ?rom  Le  to  time,  photographs  of  places,  fancy  hve  stock,  harvesting 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


31 


scenes  and  buildings  of  public  interest  in  their  localities  and  articles  on 
crops,  market  quotations,  transfers,  etc.,  taken  from  the  local  newspapers 
and  journals  that  tell  the  successful  farmer  of  exceptionally  large  yields, 
of  big  returns  through  intensive  farming,  etc.  All  these  things  are  of 
interest  to  an  intending  purchaser. 

Boom  articles  are  always  good  readers.  They  do  not  take  up  much 
space,  they  relieve  the  monotony  of  many  descriptions  and  they  help 
you.  We  want  our  agents  to  feel  that  the  catalogue  is  up  to  them; 
that  its  success  is  entirely  due  to  their  efforts  to  make  it  attractive. 
Without  our  agents'  co-operation,  we  can  do  nothing. 

Do  You  Want  Buyers  for  Your  Farms? 

If  you  want  buyers  for  farms  in  your  section,  why  not  make  a  study 
of  the  following  description  which  drew  thirty  inquiries  in  three  days  and 
which  has  already  brought  in  two  sales  and  paved  the  way  to  several 
others.     Here  is  the  description: 

Farm  For  Sale. 

Stock,  Tools  and  Crops  Included. 

Four  cows,  three  heifers,  75  hens,  wagons,  machinery, 
small  tools  and  some  crops  go  with  this  rich  i co-acre  farm 
if  taken  at  once;  8-room  house;  new  barn;  rich  loam  soil; 
spring-watered  pasture  for  12  cows;  150  barrels  apples  in 
season ;  near  neighbors,  stores,  church ;  everything  goes  for 
$1,500;  $1,000  cash,  balance  on  easy  terms. 
Can  you  offer  a  bargain  like  this?    If  you  can,  have  you  recommended 
that  it  be  used  in  our  next  catalogue  ?    Do  you  know  the  kind  of  descrip- 
tion's necessary  in  order  to  attract  buyers?    If  you  do  not,  read  the  above 
description  very  carefully  and  you  will  understand  why  it  is  one  Agent 
is  busy  answering  letters,  sending  out  his  personal  circular,  showing  prop- 
erties to  prospective  customers  arid  making  sales,  while  another  Agent 
wates  his  time  and  ours  in  writing  letters  complaining  about  the  lack  of 
inquiries. 

If  you  are  not  getting  inquiries  there  is  something  wrong  with  the 
bait.  The  bait  we  are  using  in  the  catalogues  is  the  bait  you  are  sending 
to  us.  If  it  is  not  effective  the  fault  is  yours.  The  Agent  who  has  a 
good  strong  personal  circular  needs  only  to  know  the  names  of  the  parties 
who  are  interested  in  his  section.  To  find  out  who  is  interested  all  that 
is  required  is  a  good  bargain.  Now  -it  does  not  matter  whether  the  par- 
ticular property  advertised  in  the  catalogue  is  sold.  It  does  matter, 
however,  whether  the  inquiries  received  as  a  result  of  that  particular 
description  result  in  sales. 

We  could  not  succeed  in  making  very  much  in  the  way  of  profits,  in 
fact,  we  could  not  succeed  in  attracting  very  many  inquiries  by  advertising 


32  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

a  dollar  bill  for  lOO  cents.  We  would  be  given  credit  for  advertising  a 
legitimate  article  at  a  legitimate  price  but  dollar  bills  at  one  hundred  cents 
each  are  not  curiosities  nor  are  they  to  be  considered  bargains.  The  man 
whose  curiosity  is  aroused  is  the  man  who  discovers  something  at  a  price, 
in  his  judgment,  less  than  its  actual  value.  This  is  the  secret  of  selling 
goods  at  a  profit.  We  have  got  to  convince  those  in  the  market  to  buy, 
that  we  are  offering  something  at  less  than  it  is  actually  worth.  If  we 
can  picture  a  property  in  such  a  way  as  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  the 
reader  a  property  worth  more  money  than  we  are  asking  for  it,  we  will 
have  succeeded  in  arousing  his  curiosity  sufficiently  to  cause  him  either 
to  write  to  our  local  address  for  further  particulars  or  to  at  once  visit 
our  local  address  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  the  property  advertised. 

Successful  advertising  has  for  its  object  the  selling  of  goods.  It 
must  first  attract  attention,  arouse  curiosity.  It  must  in  the  second  place 
convey  the  idea  of  the  goods  being  offered  at  less  than  their  real  value. 
It  must  in  the  third  place  create  a  desire  sufficiently  to  cause  him  to  make 
up  his  mind  either  to  inspect  the  goods  advertised  or  to  at  least  make 
further  inquiry  in  regard  to  them. 

Advertising  can  go  only  one  more  step  and  that  is  to  bring  about  an 
actual  purchase  without  further  solicitation.  We  cannot  expect  our  ad- 
vertising to  reach  the  last  stage  because  we  do  not  aim  to  sell  farms  by 
mail  nor  do  we  care  to  have  prospective  customers  make  deposit  on  farms 
without  inspection.  In  our  business,  therefore,  we  shall  have  to  eliminate 
the  final  stage  when  we  fix  the  standard  of  our  advertising.  We  are 
satisfied  when  our  advertising  is  the  means  not  only  of  drawing  an  inquiry 
for  the  catalogue  but  brings  the  interested  party  into  contact  with  our 
agents.  We  leave  him  there  and  all  we  ask  is  that  when  we  do  bring 
him  to  the  point  where  the  agent  takes  up  the  work,  we  leave  him  with 

no  false  impressions. 

Mr.  Agent,  you  should  study  carefully  the  above  description.  It  rep- 
resents the  kind  of  material  necessary  for  us  to  have  in  order  to  do 
effective  advertising.  If  you  will  provide  the  rhaterial,  we  will  do  the 
rest.     Above  all,  get  live  stock  included. 

Send   Good   Photographs  to   Illustrate  Your   Descriptions. 

The  first  impression,  ninety-nine  times  out  of  one  hundred,  is  the 
real  and  lasting  one.  In  any  publication,  whether  a  magazine,  news- 
paper or  catalogue  farms  or  anythin-  cl  i .  it  is  the  illustration  which 
first  catches  the  eye  of  the  reader.  If  the  picture  is  a  good  one,  the 
attention  is  held  and  almost  invariably  the  description  which  accompanies 
it  will  be  read.  An  inferior  photograph  not  only  will  not  attract  atten- 
tion in  the  first  place  but  in  many  cases  probably  will  have  the  effect 
of  detracting  from  the  really  good  points  that  may  be  set  forth  in  the 
description  which  accompanies  it. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


33 


Good  photographs  are  absolutely  essential  to  successful  advertising 
of  our  properties.  Not  only  should  the  most  favorable  point  be  chosen 
when  a  picture  is  being     made,     but 

grapher     should 


always  the  photo 
strive  for  the  artis- 
accomplished  in  a 
one  photographer 
pears  in  one  of  our 
reproduced  here, 
gives  the  whole 
charm  that  other- 
almost  entirely 

As   a   direct   contrast. 


tic  effect.  This  was 
striking  manner  by 
whose  work  ap- 
catalogues  and  is 
The  border  of  trees 
photograph  a 
wise  would  be 
lacking. 


we  are  reprinting  here  another  illustration 
which  appeared  in  the  same  catalogue.  This  photograph  shows  a  barren 
looking  hill  with  a  house  perched  at  its  top.     It  is  true  that  this  picture 

was    made    during  ^ ^ the    winter    when 

there  was  no  foli-  Uj^**^^  ~^3  age    on    the 

and  when  it  would 
sible  to  have  ob- 
like  the  results 


photograph.  We 
merely  to  illustrate 
making    the    most 


age  on  the  trees 
have  been  impos- 
tained  anything 
shown  in  the  other 
reproduce  it  here 
the  advantage  of 
of  conditions  when 


conditions  are  at  their  best.  In  other  words,  take  your  photographs  when 
the  trees  are  in  full  foliage,  choose  the  best  point  from  which  to  take 
your  picture  basing  your  judgment  not  only  upon  the  appearance  of  the 
buildings  themselves  but  on  the  natural  surroundings.  If  you  cannot  get 
good  results  yourself,  it  will  be  well  worth  your  while  to  procure  the 
assistance  of  a  professional  photographer  who  will  get  the  results  and 
enable  you  to  place  your  properties  before  the  buying  public  at  their  best. 

In  taking  pictures,  always  select  a  clear  day  and  when  the  property 
is  looking  at  its  best;  we  do  not  want  pictures  showing  snow  heaps  or 
stone  walls.  If  there  are  any  shade  trees,  try  to  get  them  in;  they  always 
improve  a  picture  and  will  help  along  a  sale. 

Take  pictures  when  the  trees  are  in  leaf.  Take  all  pictures  with  the 
sun  back  of  the  camera.  We  do  not  want  poor  pictures  of  good  buildings 
nor  good  pictures  of  poor  buildings. 

Wear  Your  Hat. 

When  you  have  your  photograph  taken  for  cut  to  be  used  in  your 
personal  circular,  zuear  your  hat.  This  picture  should  be  a  good  likeness 
of  you  as  you  walk  down  the  station  platform  to  greet  your  customer. 

If  your  customer  recognizes  you  from  your  photograph  it  gives  him 
that  warm,  genial  thrill  that  a  familiar  face  will  bring  to  any  stranger 


V 


/J 


34 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


in  a  strange  to\vn.     If  your  customer  finds  on  meeting  you  that  you 
really  do  look  like  the  picture  in  the  circular,  he  feels  (without  conscious 
reasoning)  that  everything  else  is  going  to  be  just  as  it  is  represented, 
and  he  will  readily  place  confidence  in  you  and  your  representations. 
High  Grade  Camera  and  Case  Only  $9.50. 

Agents  who  have  had  difficulty  in 
procuring  good  photographs  of  farm 
buildings  and  surroundings  to  illus- 
trate their  descriptions  in  our  cata- 
logues will  be  interested  in  the  East- 
man Bull's  Eye  Camera  pictured  here- 
with. An  automatic  attachment  pre- 
serves the  focus  under  all  conditions. 
The  inexpensive  little  machine  makes 
a  fine  photograph.  The  Eastman  Com- 
pany will  furnish  the  camera  with 
leather  carrying  case  for  $9.50  and  express  charges.  Or  you  may  order 
them  through  our  branch  offices  in  your  district  or  our  main  office  in 
New  York,  and  we  will  ship  them  to  you,  express  charges  collect,  for 
$9.50.     Size  of  picture  3/4x4^. 

All  Printed  Matter  Must  Bear  the  Company's  Name. 
Under  no  circumstances  can  we  permit  printed  matter  of  any  kind 
pertaining  to  our  business  to  be  distributed  from  any  of  our  offices,  or 
by  any  of  our  agents,  directly  or  indirectly,  which  does  not  bear  the 
name  of  the  Company.  The  postal  department  holds  that  we  are  re- 
sponsible for  all  printed  matter  distributed  through  the  mails,  whether 
from  our  offices  or  those  of  our  agents,  and,  for  this  reason  alone,  it 
is  not  only  necessary  from  a  business  standpoint,  but  it  is  an  obligation 
we  owe  the  postal  authorities  to  pass  upon  all  copy  before  it  goes  into 
the  hands  of  the  printer,  and,  in  passing  on  the  copy,  we  desire  the 
name  of  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  to  appear  so  that  there  will  be  no 
misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  the  Company,  the  agent,  the  postal 
department  or  the  general  public. 

In  getting  out  postal  cards  illustrating  or  describing  properties,  per- 
sonal circulars,  special  fliers,  leaflets,  booklets,  letterheads,  etc.,  copy 
must  be  approved  by  our  New  York  office,  so  there  will  be  no  chance 
of  the  above  rule  being  overlooked. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS.  35 


The  Forms  and  Their  Uses. 

A  thorough  understanding  of  the  various  forms  for  use  in  the  con- 
duct of  your  agency  is  one  of  the  first  requisites 'in  assuring  your  success 
A  complete  supply  of  the  Forms  described  on  the  following  pages  was 
forwarded  to  you  on  the  date  this  pamphlet  was  placed  in  the  mails 
Please  read  carefully  and  follow  closely  the  suggestions  regarding  all  these 
forms.  ** 

FORM  No.  115. 

White  Description  Blank  and  Price  List  Combined. 
Keep  a  Supply  in  Your  Pocket. 

This  form  is  to  be  used  by  you  in  listing  properties.  It  should  be 
h led  out  by  the  owners,  properly  signed  and  dated.  Then  you  should 
fiH  m  carefully  the  three  lines  at  the  head  of  the  first  page,  your  post- 
office  address,  state,  number  of  the  property,  acreage  and  the  selling 
price,  and  attach  your  signature  as  agent. 

Please  be  careful  to  impress  upon  owners  the  importance  of  each  and 
every  question  on  the  Form.  Correct  answers  to  all  questions  are  neces- 
sary, as  our  circular  and  newspaper  advertisements  are  written  from  these 
descriptions. 

You  should  be  particularly  careful  to  see  that  the  owner  gives  his 
reason  for  selling,  as  provided  for  on  the  proper  line,  second  page,  and 
also  that  he  fills  in  the  n^  price  that  he  will  take  clear  to  himself  on 
the  second  page.  ' 

It  is  of  no  use  to  list  properties  at  unreasonably  high  prices  and 
as  you  are  familiar  with  values  in  your  district  you,  therefore,  should 
be  careful  to  see  that  the  owner's  net  price  is  sufficiently  low  so  that  when 
our  commission  is  added  the  price  will  not  be  above  the  real  value  of 
the  property.  It  costs  a  great  deal  of  money  to  advertise  and  we  do 
not  want  to  advertise  properties  anywhere  unless  they  are  real  bargains. 

Easy  Terms  Essential. 
Another  important  point  is  to  have  the  owner  give,  as  provided  in 
the  blank,  the  very  best  terms  he  will  accept.  In  this  connection  you 
must  always  remember  that  the  smaller  the  cash  payment  and  the  easier 
the  terms  for  the  balance,  the  less  difficult  it  will  be  for  us  to  effect  a 
sale  of  the  property.  Lines  giving  itemized  statement  of  the  total  income 
last  year  should  be  filled  out  with  great  care,  as  should  also  lines  telling 
of  record  crops  grown  on  nearby  farms. 

Always  get  ozvners  to  include  as  much  personal  property  as  you  can 
as  It  is  much  easier  for  us  to  get  customers  for  farms  where  personal 
property  is  included  than  otherwise. 


' 


36 


SUCCESS    SELLING    FARMS. 


The  Price  Agreement. 

The  price  agreement  on  page  4  will  require  your  very  best  attention. 
There  is  nothing  in  it  to  which  a  reasonable  owner  should  object.  In 
taking  it  up  paragraph  by  paragraph  it  is  not  necessary  to  do  very  much 
elaborating.  Let  the  owner  raise  the  objections  if  he  has  any.  In  the 
first  space  in  this  agreement  should  be  placed  the  lowest  net  amount 
the  owner  will  take  clear  to  himself.  This  price  should  be  the  same  as 
on  page  2. 

If  Owners  Object  When  You  First  Start  to  List. 

In  the  beginning  you  may  find  that  some  owners  will  object  to  the 
10%  commission  provided  for  in  this  agreement.  In  that  event,  you 
may  use  Form  154  in  listing  properties  until  your  agency  becomes  firmly 
established.  By  that  time  when  you  will  have  gotten  together  a  good  list 
of  properties  and  have  made  several  sales,  owners  will  have  no  hesitation 
whatever  in  placing  their  properties  in  your  hands  on  the  regular  Form 

115. 

You  should  never,  under  any  circumstances,  alter  the  agreement  on 

Forms  115  or  154  so  as  to  make  our  commission  less  than  $100  or  5%  if 
the  property  is  over  $2,000. 

The  only  clause  to  which  an  owner  might  object  is  that  under  which 
we  receive  a  withdrawal  fee  in  case  the  property  is  taken  out  of  our 
hands  before  we  have  effected  a  sale.  You  are  at  liberty,  therefore,  in 
the  beginning,  and  where  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  to  reduce  the  with- 
drawal fee  from  2%  to  1%.  If  the  owner  will  not  pay  1%  you  may 
make  the  minimum  withdrawal  fee  $25  by  drawing  your  pen  through 
the  words  "2%  of  the  price  mentioned,  which  in  no  case  shall  be  less 

than "    If  the  owner  absolutely  declines  to  pay  a  withdrawal 

fee  and  he  is  willing  to  list  his  property  at  a  price  that  gives  us  an  oppor- 
tunity to  make  a  good  commission,  we  are  willing  for  you  to  cancel  the 
entire  withdrawal  clause.  These  alterations  may  be  made  only  during  the 
early  stages  of  your  agency,  however.  As  soon  as  you  are  making  sales 
you  will  have  no  difficulty  in  listing  properties  on  withdrawal. 

Withdrawal  Clause  Helps  You. 

Owners  will  leave  property  in  our  hands  indefinitely  when  there  is  a 
withdrawal  fee  attached,  and  for  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  you  should 
use  your  best  efforts  to  list  all  properties  on  withdrawals  from  the  very 
beginning.  It  keeps  out  competition;  it  protects  you  for  the  trouble  you 
have  taken  in  listing  the  property,  and  it  protects  us  in  the  expense  we 
incur  in  advertising. 

Please  bear  in  mind  when  listing  properties  that  you  will  be  entitled 
to  one-quarter  of  all  withdrawal  fees  collected  on  properties  listed  by 
you.     The  rest  of  the  agreement  explains  itself. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


37 


FORM   154. 
Yellow  Description  Blanks. 

We  are  sending  you  with  your  first  lot  of  supplies  only  one  copy 
of  Form  115.  It  is  not  likely  that  you  shall  be  able  to  list  on  this  Form 
m  the  beginning  and  we  shall  be  quite  satisfied  to  have  you  use  Form 
154  in  the  early  stages  of  your  agency.  As  soon  as  you  are  able  to 
hst  successfully  on  this  Form,  however,  without  cutting  the  agreement 
you  can  gradually  work  into  the  use  of  Form  115,  and  by  that  time 
you  will  realize  that  it  is  very  greatly  to  your  advantage  to  use  Form  iic 
rather  than  Form  154. 

Get  Owners,  Before  It  Becomes  Illegal,  to  Reduce  Prices. 

The  form  of  contract  we  are  using  gives  us  considerable  latitude  in 
arranging  terms  and  settling  the  details  of  a  sale,  but  there  is  one  im- 
portant point  on  which  we  must  not  go  astray. 

It  is  a  great  temptation  to  an  agent,  after  receiving  a  deposit  on  a 
property,  to  approach  the  owner  and  say,  "Mr.  Jones,  I  think  I  can  sell 
your  farm  if  you  will  reduce  your  price  $100,"  aiming  thereby  to  make 
a  larger  commission. 

Don't  do  this.  It  is  illegal  for  an  agent  to  get  an  owner  to  reduce 
his  net  price  after  having  received  an  offer  or  deposit  on  his  property 
unless  the  owner  is  given  full  details  of  the  proposed  transfer  and  is 
advised  of  the  amount  of  commission  the  agent  will  receive  and  agrees 
to  the  terms. 

I  will  cite  three  examples  to  make  my  meaning  clear : 
Suppose  you  have  Jones'  farm  for  sale  at  $2,000,  net,  and  receive  a 
deposit  to  bind  a  trade  at  $2,000.    You  then  go  to  Jones  and  tell  him 
that  you  can  sell  his  farm  if  he  will  take  $1,900,  net.    He  agrees  to  accept 
that  amount  and  the  following  day  you  notify  him  that  his  farm  is  sold 
This  is  illegal  and  an  offense  punishable  both  by  fine  and  imprisonment. 
But  if  you  have  an  offer  of  $2,000  on  a  farm  listed  at  $2,000,  net, 
and  take  a  deposit  on  it  and  agree  to  sell  it  subject  to  the  owner's  ap-' 
proval,  then  inform  the  owner  of  the  exact  terms  of  the  offer  and  get 
him  to  accept  $1,800,  net,  to  himself.     This  will  give  us  a  commission 
of  $200   (the  same  as  though  the  property  sold  for  $2,200)   and  will 
be  a  legal  transaction.  * 

Another  example:  If  you  have  a  party  whom  you  believe  will  buy 
Jones'  farm  at  $2,200  but  from  whom  you  have  not  received  a  bona  fide 
offer  or  deposit  and  you  get  Jones  to  re-list  his  farm  at  $1,900,  and  then 
secure  a  deposit  from  your  customer,  it  is  a  perfectly  legal  transaction, 
because  you  did  not  have  an  offer  or  deposit  from  your  customer  at  the 
time  you  secured  a  reduction  in  price. 

Briefly  stated,  get  the  owner  to  reduce  his  price  and  re-list  his  prop- 
erty before  you  agree  with  the  buyer  to  sell  it  to  him  or  receive  his  offer 


\\ 


i 


J  f 


38 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


on  it.  Never  get  the  reduction  in  price  after  an  offer  or  deposit  has  been 
accepted  by  you,  without  explaining  to  the  owner  just  the  amount  the 
property  is  seUing  for,  the  amount  of  commission  we  are  to  receive,  and 
the  price  he  is  to  receive,  net,  for  the  property,  and  get  his  approval  to 
the  sale  on  those  terms. 

It  is  absolutely  essential  that  at  the  time  of  listing  a  property  you  get 
the  easiest  possible  terms  from  the  owner.  Have  him  write  on  the 
description  blank  the  smallest  amount  of  cash  he  will  accept  at  the  time 
of  sale  and  the  length  of  time  he  will  allow  the  balance  to  remain  on 
mortgage  and  the  rate  of  interest  which  the  mortgage  will  carry.  Bear 
in  mind  always  that  the  smaller  the  cash  payment,  the  longer  the  mort- 
gage is  allowed  to  run  and  the  lower  the  rate  of  interest,  the  easier 
it  will  be  for  you  to  effect  a  sale  of  that  property. 

FORM  167. 
Brown  Description  Blank  to  Be  Retained  by  Agent. 

This  Form  is  to  be  used  by  you  in  retaining  a  copy  of  the  original 
description  (Forms  115  or  154).  All  original  papers  should  be  sent 
to  our  nearest  offke  as  soon  as  signed.  You  will  note  that  Form  167 
does  not  provide  for  a  copy  of  the  price  agreement  nor  does  it  give 
on  page  2  the  owner's  price  and  terms.  You  should  therefore  keep  a 
separate  memorandum  in  a  notebook  showing  the  owner's  price  so  that 
it  will  not  be  necessary  to  refer  to  the  description  blank  to  find  out  the 
exact  amount  of  commission  to  which  we  may  be  entitled  in  case  of  sale. 

We  want  Form  167  as  retained  by  you  to  contain  nothing  that  would 
in  any  way  inform  a  prospective  customer  of  the  .amount  you  may  have 
added  to  the  owner's  net  price.  The  only  price  on  the  Form,  therefore, 
should  be  the  asking  price  copied  from  the  original  description  blank 
(Forms  115  or  154)  in  the  upper  right  hand  comer,  page  i.  Avoid,  as 
far  as  possible,  allowing  a  prospect  to  take  in  his  hands  and  read  for 
himself  the  description.  What  you  tell  him  or  read  to  him  will  impress 
him  more  forcibly  than  anything  he  reads  himself. 

Please  see  that  your  first  description  is  numbered  No.  i  and  con- 
tinue thereafter  in  numerical  order.  All  descriptions  must  be  signed, 
dated  and  numbered,  otherwise  they  will  not  be  accepted.  Always, 
where  possible,  descriptions  should  be  accompanied  by  pictures  of  the 

buildings.  Unlisted  Properties. 

You  should  never,  if  you  possibly  can  avoid  it,  handle  a  property 
that  is  not  properly  listed.  If  you  should  at  any  time,  however,  when 
you  are  unable  to  interest  a  prospect  in  any  of  your  listed  properties, 
sell  an  unlisted  place,  you  should  secure  from  the  owner  a  signed  price 
list.  Fill  out  the  description  blank  and  agreement  and  have  the  owner 
sign  and  date  it.     Mail  this  to  us  with  your  report  of  sale. 


"^ 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


39 


To  safeguard  our  interests,  we  must  alway-j  have  a  signed  descrip- 
tion from  the  owner  of  each  property  we  sell.  Then,  if  a  purchaser  ever 
claims  misrepresentation,  we  can  produce  the  owner's  description  to 
show  that  our  statements  were  in  accordance  with  his  and  the  purchaser 
will  then  hold  the  owner  responsible  for  damages.  If  you  have  no 
description  signed  by  the  owner,  the  purchaser  can  hold  you  responsible. 

FORM  194. 
Owner's  Agreement  with  Purchaser. 

In  filling  out  this  Form  state  clearly  and  fully  the  terms  and  condi- 
tions of  sale.  The  more  completely  this  agreement  is  made  out  the  less 
opportunity  there  will  be  for  any  misunderstanding  to  arise  later  on. 
If  there  is  not  room  to  write  in  a  list  of  all  personal  property  included, 
write  the  list  on  a  separate  sheet  and  attach  securely  to  Form  194.  This 
agreement  should  be  made  in  duplicate,  both  copies  signed  by  the  buyer 
and  seller  or  you  as  agent  for  seller  and  one  copy  kept  by  each. 

If  the  owner  is  not  present  when  you  close  the  deal,  you  may  sign 
as  his  agent,  providing  you  have  made  the  sale  according  to  the  agree- 
ment under  which  the  property  was  listed  on  Form  154  or  115.  When 
you  do  this  you  should  deliver  to  the  owner  his  copy  of  the  agreement 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment.    Always  keep  a  copy  of  the  agreement 

for  your  own  reference.  r-^^r***    io*> 

FORM   132. 

Report  of  Sale. 

A  report  on  this  blank  should  be  mailed  to  us  the  same  day  on  which 
you  receive  a  cash  deposit,  note  or  other  consideration  to  bind  a  sale. 
Please  answer  each  and  every  question  fully,  as  all  the  information 
asked  is  necessary  in  properly  keeping  our  records. 

FORM  129. 
"How  to  Sell  a  Farm." 

This  book  contains  many  valuable  suggestions  and  you  should  make 
it  a  point  to  read  the  same  carefully.  We  mail  a  copy  of  it  to  every 
owner  as  soon  as  description  of  his  property  has  been  received  at  our 

^^^^  FORM   130. 

"A  Few  Friendly  Facts." 

This  book  will  help  you  in  introducing  us  to  the  owners  in  your 
section.  Read  it  carefully;  it  will  help  to  increase  your  knowledge  of 
the  work  we  are  doing  and,  at  the  same  time,  it  will  be  of  valuable 
assistance  to  you  in  listing  properties.  Many  of  our  new  agents  mail 
a  copy  to  each  of  the  owners  in  their  section  before  calling  to  see  them. 
In  this  way  it  serves  as  an  introduction. 

Whenever  you  are  in  need  of  a  supply,  kindly  call  the  same  to  our 
attention  and  your  wants 'will  be  attended  to  promptly. 


i! 


-10 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


FORM  142. 
Agent's  Monthly  Report. 

Please  fill  out  and  send  report  on  this  blank  to  the  office  in  charge  of 
your  district  at  the  end  of  each  and  every  month.  It  will  keep  us  in 
close  touch  with  your  work  and  help  us  to  help  you. 

Form   103. 
Withdrawal  Notice. 

This  is  to  be  used  in  notifying  us  of  any  properties  withdrawn.  It 
is  necessary  that  our  records  be  kept  accurately  and  up-to-date  and  we 
must  rely  on  you  to  keep  us  fully  informed  of  any  and  all  changes  that 
may  take  out  of  our  hands  any  listed  property  in  your  section. 

Whenever  an  owner  desires  to  withdraw  his  property,  you  should 
find  out  from  him  the  reasons  therefor,  stating  the  same  on  the  with- 
drawal notice.  If  withdrawal  is  due  to  the  property  being  sold,  the 
name  of  the  purchaser  with  address  should  be  given  in  full.  This  is 
important  as  our  customer  may  buy  direct  from  an  owner  without  your 
knowledge. 

We  keep  on  file  the  names  of  all  parties  inquiring  for  catalogues; 
all  such  parties  are  our  customers,  and  should  they  buy  a  listed  property 
direct  from  the  owner,  with  or  without  your  knowledge,  we  would  have 
no  difficulty  in  legally  collecting  full  commission  from  the  owner  in 
accordance  with  the  contract.  In  such  case,  you  would,  of  course,  receive 
your  regular  share  of  the  commission  thus  collected.  You  therefore 
will  be  guarding  your  own  interests  in  notifying  us  promptly  and  fully 
regarding  all  withdrawals. 

FORM  159. 

White  Advertising  Blank. 

This  Form  should  always  be  used  when  sending  material  to  our 
home  office  for  advertisements  in  the  various  issues  of  the  general  cata- 
logues and  other  publications.  Read  carefully,  and  observe  closely  the 
instructions  laid  down  on  the  reverse  side  of  this  Form.  By  so  doing 
you  will  place  your  section  and  your  properties  before  prospective  buyers 
in  the  best  possible  light  and  will  be  assured  of  the  best  returns  from 
our  advertising.  After  the  required  number  of  descriptions  have  been 
carefully  written  in  accordance  with  these  instructions  make  a  memo- 
randum on  the  face  of  Form  159  as  provided  and  send  that,  together 
with  the  descriptions,  to  your  district  office. 

FORM  177. 

Property  Classification  List. 

This  Form  should  be  filled  out  as  soon  as  you  have  ten  properties 
listed  and  a  copy  sent  immediately  to  each  of  our  branch  offices  and  to 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


41 


the  New  York  office;  and  thereafter  a  revised  report  should  be  fur- 
nished every  sixty  days.  By  means  of  this  classified  list  the  men  whose 
duty  it  is  to  interview  callers  at  our  various  offices  have  before  them 
at  all  times  the  very  information  they  desire  regarding  your  properties, 
and  they  thus  will  be  enabled  to  make  instant  reference  to  the  original 
descriptions  of  these  properties  which  are  kept  on  file  in  our  offices. 
Through  these  lists  our  inside  salesmen  are  enabled  to  interest  prospec- 
tive customers  in  many  properties  that  otherwise  might  be  entirely  over- 
looked. It  will  be  to  your  advantage,  therefore,  to  keep  the  classifica- 
tion list  up  to  date  at  all  times. 

FORM  180. 

How  to  Reach  Agents. 

One  of  the  most  important  things  in  connection  with  our  business 
is  to  see  that  prospective  customers  who,  through  our  advertisements, 
become  interested  in  our  properties  in  any  special  section,  reach  the  agent 
in  that  section  when  they  start  out  to  examine  the  property  that  has 
appealed  to  them.  In  many  towns  our  competitors  watch  all  incoming 
trains  in  the  hope  that  they  may  intercept  a  prospective  customer  before 
he  reaches  our  agent.  It  is  to  guard  against  just  such  trouble  that  we 
ask  you  to  fill  out  Form  180,  answering  clearly  every  question.  At  the 
same  time,  make  arrangements  with  the  station  agent  and  other  persons 
to  give  you  what  assistance  they  can.  From  the  information  given  by  you 
on  this  form  we  advise  prospective  visitors  to  your  section  how  to  reach 
your  town  and  how  to  reach  you  after  they  get  there.  We  do  not  want 
to  send  customers  to  your  town  to  have  them  fall  into  the  hands  of  other 
agents,  and  as  it  will  be  as  much  to  your  advantage  as  ours  to  see  that 
they  do  not,  we  trust  you  will  fill  out  this  blank  promptly  and  then  do 
your  part  to  see  that  the  customer  gets  into  good  hands  when  he  reaches 
your  town  in  accordance  with  our  instructions. 

FORM  193. 

Strout's  Produce  Price  Blank. 

We  are  enclosing  with  this  booklet  two  copies  of  Form  No.  193. 
Kindly  fill  out  same  at  your  earliest  convenience.  Send  one  copy  direct 
to  our  New  York  office  and  the  other  to  the  branch  office  in  charge  of 
your  district. 

FORM   185. 

List  of  Personal  Property. 

Keep  a  Supply  in  Your  Pocket. 

"Personal  property  included"  is  one  of  the  strongest  features  in  adver- 
tising a  farm  and  as  some  owners  will  decline  to  throw  in  anything  at 


42 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


the  net  price  for  their  property  we  have  prepared  this  additional  Hsting 
Form  for  personal  property  only.  This  should  never  be  used  until  after 
an  agent  becomes  convinced  that  the  personal  property  cannot  be  obtained 
except  for  a  sum  in  addition  to  the  net  price.  It  should  never  be  offered 
to  an  owner  to  fill  out  until  after  the  farm  itself  has  been  regularly 
listed,  either  on  Form  115  or  Form  154,  and  then  only  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  the  owner  to  make  a  reduced  lump  price  on  the  personal 
property  therein  enumerated.  For  instance,  we  will  suppose  that  the 
owner  will  put  in  tools,  which  he  values  at  $75,  machinery  $216,  stock 
$425,  miscellaneous  $81 ;  a  total  of  $797.  In  view  of  the  deterioration 
of  some  of  these  articles  as  a  result  of  use  and  the  fact  that  when  he 
sells  his  farm  he  will  have  no  further  use  for  them,  it  is  quite  possible 
that  the  owner  might  be  willing  to  accept  a  lump  sum  of  $500  for  all. 
In  that  event,  have  him  fill  in  his  asking  price  of  $500  in  the  agreement 
near  the  top  of  the  page,  then  have  him  affix  his  signature  near  the 
bottom  of  the  sheet,  together  with  the  date  on  which  the  signature  was 
written.  The  agent's  signature  accepting  the  agreement  on  behalf  of 
the  Company  should  be  attached  just  before  the  owner  signs  and  the  com- 
pleted Form  should  be  sent  to  your  district  office  immediately  to  be  filed 
with  the  original  description.  The  agent  should  retain  a  copy  of  this 
Form  in  his  office  for  his  own  reference. 

FORM   163. 

Reduction  of  Price  Blanks. 

This  Form  will  be  found  valuable  on  many  occasions.  Keep  a  supply 
in  your  coat  pocket.  Particularly  in  new  sections  owners  frequently 
list  their  property  at  high  prices,  and  often  of  their  own  accord  at  a  later 
date  will  suggest  that  the  price  be  reduced  to  effect  a  quick  sale.  For 
that  purpose  Form  163  should  be  used  and  when  the  owner's  signature 
is  affixed  should  be  sent  to  this  office  for  filing  with  the  original  descrip- 
tion. This  Form  also  will  be  found  valuable  where  an  owner  may 
complain  that  his  property  is  not  sold  in  what  appears  to  him  to  be  a 
reasonable  time.  The  agent  can  point  out  to  him,  in  the  event  of  such 
a  complaint  being  made,  that  'his  price  is  probably  too  high  and  that  if 
he  will  revise  his  asking  price  on  Form  163  there  will  be  a  greater  likeli- 
hood of  moving  it  quickly.  The  Form  also  may  be  used,  if  necessary 
in  increasing  the  price  on  a  property  if,  in  the  agent's  judgment,  such 
an  increase  is  justified  either  by  improvements  on  buildings,  increase  in 
the  amount  of  stock,  personal  property  on  the  farm  included  in  the  price, 
or  because  of  certain  local  conditions  which  have  caused  an  increase  in 
land  values.  Increases  should  be  accepted  by  the  agent,  however,  only 
when  he  feels  that  they  are  justified. 


SUCCESS    SELLING  FARMS. 


43 


FORM   190. 

Agent's  Information  Blank. 

Every  prospective  customer  who  reaches  your  town  will,  by  the  time 
he  steps  from  the  railroad  train,  have  cost  the  Company  a  good  many 
dollars  in  advertising.  He  is  then  in  your  hands  and  we  are  sure  that 
you  will  do  everything  you  can  to  interest  him  in  one  of  your  properties 
to  the  point  where  he  will  become  a  purchaser.  If  you  are  unable  to 
effect  a  sale,  however,  after  having  used  your  best  efforts,  you  should 
not  dismiss  your  visitor  without  some  endeavor  to  retain  him  as  one  of 
the  Company's  prospective  customers.  You  will  have  had  your  chance 
and  done  your  best  and  if  you  have  failed  you  should  do  everything 
you  can  to  induce  the  visitor  to  call  on  some  of  your  brother  agents 
or  at  least  to  ascertain  from  him  what  information  you  can  regarding 
his  real  wants  and  advise  the  Company  accordingly.  This  information 
will  be  passed  along  to  the  agents  whose  sections  and  properties  appear 
to  answer  the  requirements  of  the  prospect  and  these  men  will  be  given 
a  chance  to  commence  work  on  him  where  you  left  off.  At  the  same 
time  other  agents  through  this  information  blank  will  be  supplying  the 
Company  with  information  which  in  turn  will  be  passed  along  to  you 
and  everybody  will  benefit.  This  Form  should  be  filled  out  and  mailed 
to  the  Company  every  Saturday  or  sooner  if  convenient. 

FORM  197. 

License  Report. 

A  copy  of  Form  197,  License  Report,  is  included  with  your  first  lot 
of  supplies. 

Please  ask  the  License  Clerk  in  your  town  to  fill  out  this  report  and 
then  mail  it  back  to  our  New  York  office. 

We  desire  to  have  this  form  filled  out  irrespective  of  whether  or 
not  your  county  or  town  have  any  restrictions  relative  to  the  operation 
of  foreign  real  estate  companies. 

FORM   141. 

Order  Blank. 

Please  use  this  Form  in  ordering  supplies.  Always  send  the  same 
to  our  nearest  office.  We  cannot  promise  to  fill  orders  for  supplies 
unless  this  Form  is  used. 


JA 


44 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


The  Legal  Side. 

All  the  contract  forms  used  by  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  in  the  con- 
duct of  its  business  have  been  tested  by  the  courts  in  the  various  states 
in  which  we  are  operating  and  have  been  pronounced  binding  in  every 
instance.  The  present  reading  of  these  contract  forms  is  the  result  of 
many  years'  experience  and  a  great  deal  of  thought  and  study  not  only 
on  our  own  part  but  on  the  part  of  attorneys  in  many  states  who  have 
been  called  into  consultation  in  the  preparation  of  the  various  forms. 

As  they  now  stand,  not  only  the  Company  and  its  agent  but  the  prop- 
erty owner  with  whom  the  Company  and  the  agent  deal,  are  fully  pro- 
tected in  their  rights  when  these  forms  are  properly  filled  out  and  signed. 

The  only  purpose  of  this  brief  article  is  to  show  you  that  not  only  do 
these  contract  forms  make  the  conduct  of  your  agency  safer  and  your 
profits  more  secure  but  in  every  instance  the  properly  prepared  contract 
will  facilitate  and  make  easier  the  work  you  will  have  to  do. 

The  Dishonest  Owner. 

As  an  instance,  you  may  take  the  regular  Hsting  Forms,  Nos.  115  and 
154.  Under  the  laws  of  some  states,  the  agent  is  not  permitted  to  handle 
a  property  or  to  offer  a  property  for  sale  unless  there  is  a  written  agree- 
ment or  contract  similar  to  one  of  these  Forms  between  the  agent  and  the 
owner.  In  other  states,  however,  there  may  be  an  oral  agreement  between 
the  agent  and  the  owner  under  which  a  sale  may  be  made,  the  owner  to 
receive  the  full  amount  paid  by  the  buyer,  the  agent  to  look  to  the  owner 
for  his  commission  in  effecting  the  sale.  Naturally,  there  being  no  written 
agreement,  it  is  purely  a  case  of  honor  as  far  as  the  owner  is  concerned 
and  he  may  or  may  not  carry  out  the  oral  agreement,  just  as  he  sees  fit. 

Inasmuch  as  the  majority  of  men  are  honest,  it  is  natural  that  the 
majority  of  these  oral  contracts  are  fulfilled  but  it  is  just  as  certain  that  a 
dishonest  owner  will  try  in  every  way  to  evade  payment  and  the  result 
will  be  a  percentage  of  loss  which  neither  you  nor  the  Company  can  afford 

to  carry. 

Protect  Yourself. 

The  only  safe  and  businesslike  manner  of  conducting  a  real  estate 

business,  or  any  other  undertaking,  is  along  proper,  businesslike  lines. 

The  first  essential  in  this  connection  is  the  contract,  particularly  in  the 

business  in  which  we  are  engaged.    Not  only  does  the  contract  protect  you 

in  cases  where  you,  through  your  own  efforts,  effect  a  sale  by  bringing 

about  an  agreement  between  the  owner  and  the  buyer  produced  by  you 

but  also  protects  you  and  assures  us  of  our  commission,  when  we  can 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS 

show  that  we  have  interested  a  prospective  buyer  in  the  property,  even  if 
the  sale  itself  is  made  direct  by  the  owner  to  this  prospect  when  our  agent 
IS  not  present  and  even  when  he  has  no  immediate  knowledge  of  the 
transaction.  *" 

Owners  Must  Pay  Commission. 

This  point  was  recently  finally  passed  upon  by  the  Supreme  Court  of 
.he  State  of  Mame  in  the  case  of  E.  A.  Strout  Company  vs.  Leslie  Hub- 
bard.   In  1906,  Hubbard,  an  owner,  sold  his  farm  to  a  customer  to  whom 
the  property  was  recommended  by  our  agent.     When  we  learned  of  the 
.■^ale,  we  made  a  demand  on  Mr.  Hubbard  for  $200,  the  amount  to  which 
we  were  entitled  according  to  agreement.    He  refused  to  pay  and  contested 
our  claim  through  several  courts.    In  the  end  we  were  sustained  on  every 
point  and  Hubbard  was  directed  by  the  Court  not  only  to  pay  our  full 
commission  but  to  pay  all  costs  of  the  court  as  well.    By  this  final  decision 
Hubbard  was  forced  to  pay  more  than  $800  as  a  result  of  trying  to  evade 
payment  of  a  $200  commission  rightfully  due. 

Had  this  property  not  been  listed  on  one  of  our  regular  contract  forms 
we  would  have  had  no  redress  whatsoever  and  the  agent  and  Company 
would  have  been  forced  to  swallow  their  loss  of  the  commission  without 
protest. 

Contract  Holds  after  Witlidrawal. 

Another  decision,  sustaining  another  section  of  this  contract,  which 
also  IS  of  great  interest  to  the  Company  and  its  agents,  was  handed  down 
by  Justice  Speer  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  sitting  in  the  County  of 
Frankhn,  Maine,  in  1907.    Andie  S.  Wilson,  of  Wilton,  Franklin  County 
Maine,  had  listed  his  farm  on  one  of  our  general  contract  forms  and  our 
agent  in  that  section  had  shown  the  property  to  a  number  of  prospective 
customers,  among  them  Eugene  G.  Tufts.    No  sale  was  efl^ected,  but  dur- 
ing the  month  of  April,  1908,  Wilson  withdrew  his  property  from  the 
Company  s  hands.     A  few  days  later,  however,  he  sold  the  property  to 
Tufts,  whereupon  the  Company  through  its  agent  made  a  demand  upon 
Wilson  for  the  full  amount  of  commission  due.     He  contested  on  the 
ground  that  the  property  had  been  withdrawn  from  our  hands  at  the  time 
of  sale,  but  when  the  case  had  been  taken  to  Court  that  section  of  our  con- 
tract which  provided  for  just  such  a  contingency  was  sustained  bv  the 
Court  and  Wilson  was  directed  to  make  a  settlement  of  our  claim  in  full 
minus  the  amount  which  had  already  been  paid  by  Wilson  as   with- 
drawal  fee. 

When  the  Owner  Refuses  to  Sell. 

Another  portion  of  this  contract  recently  passed  upon  by  the  Court  is 
that  section  which  provides  that  "if  a  party  ready,  able  and  willing  to 
purchase  said  property  upon  my  terms,  as  stated  herein,  is  procured  by  you 
or  your  agent,  directly  or  indirectly,  I  will  pay  to  you  or  your  order  forth- 


46 


SUCCESS    SELLING    FARMS. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


47 


with,  as  commission,  an  amount  equal  to  the  difference  between  $ , 

herein  referred  to  as  the  net  price,  and  such  price  as  said  purchaser  shall 
agree  to  pay  for  the  above  described  property,  except  that  in  no  case  shall 
your  commission  be  less  than  $ioo,  nor,  if  the  selling  price  exceeds  $2,000, 
less  than  5%  (or  10%)  of  the  same." 

The  property  of  Byron  G.  Quimby,  of  Richmond,  Maine,  had  been 
listed  with  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  at  a  net  price  of  $1,400,  the  Com- 
pany to  have  as  its  commission  all  in  excess  of  $1,400.  When  the  Com- 
pany produced  a  customer  willing  and  able  to  buy  the  place,  Quimby 
refused  to  accept  less  than  $1,700,  claiming  that  he  had  previously  noti- 
fied an  agent  of  the  Company  that  the  property  was  withdrawn  from  sale 

at  the  original  price. 

The  Court,  however,  sustained  the  contention  of  the  Company  that 
it  had  performed  its  duty  in  connection  with  the  contract  and  returned  a 
verdict  in  favor  of  the  Company  for  the  full  amount  with  interest. 

A  Buyer  Held  for  Commission. 

Not  only  does  the  contract  protect  the  agent  and  the  Company  in  the 
event  of  failure  of  the  owner  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  agreement  but 
also  where  the  buyer  fails  to  observe  the  Company's  rights.  This  point 
was  tried  out  and  a  decision  recently  rendered  in  the  Appellate  Division 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  the  case  of  Friedman 

vs.  Bitker. 

This  case  was  based  upon  the  sale  of  properties  in  New  York  City.  It 
appeared  from  the  testimony  that  the  properties  were  offered  to  Bitker  and 
Rosenblum  by  the  plaintiff,  Samuel  S.  Friedman,  with  the  authority  of  the 
owner,  a  Dr.  Miller,  for  $90,000.  Failing  to  get  Friedman  to  any  splitting 
of  the  commission,  the  prospective  buyers  asked  him  to  disclose  the  identity 
and  whereabouts  of  the  owner  with  the  promise,  according  to  Friedman, 
to  protect  him  fully  and  to  pay  him  the  full  commission  in  the  event  of 
their  direct  negotiations  for  the  property  proving  successful.  Soon  after, 
the  defendants  bought  the  property  for  $90,000  through  one  Rosenberg, 
representing  to  the  seller  that  they  had  never  known  Friedman  in  con- 
nection with  the  properties.  At  the  trial,  judgment  for  the  full  commission 
with  interest  was  awarded  Friedman  and  against  the  buyers,  and  this 
judgment  was  later  sustained  when  carried  to  the  Appellate  Division  of 
the  Supreme  Court. 

Value  of  the  Withdrawal  Clause  Recognized. 

As  already  explained,  the  withdrawal  clause  is  an  essential  feature 
of  the  contract  or,  in  fact,  any  contract  having  to  do  with  the  sale  of  real 
estate  by  a  broker.  Not  only  does  it  serve  to  keep  the  listed  property  in 
our  hands  for  a  considerably  longer  time  than  it  might  otherwise  remain 
but  it  also  restrains  owners  from  unduly  increasing  their  net  price  after 


properties  have  been  widely  advertised  and  shown  by  agents,  and  also 
from  withdrawing  them  from  our  hands  at  about  the  time  a  sale  could 
be  effected. 

The  fairness  of  the  withdrawal  clause,  both  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  Company  and  the  owner,  cannot  be  doubted.  That  its  propriety  and 
fairness  are  recognized  by  the  judicial  authorities  is  proven  by  the  fact 
that  it  has  been  sustained  by  the  Courts  many  times  where  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  bring  suit  to  enforce  payment. 

Following  is  an  article  clipped  from  the  September  21,  1908,  issue  of 
the  Kennebec  Journal: 

"In  the  Kennebec  Superior  Court  Saturday  morning  the  case  of  E.  A. 
Strout  Company  vs.  Daisy  E.  Gay  was  called  for  trial.  This  was  an 
action  in  assumption  to  recover  the  sum  of  $50,  alleged  to  be  due  the 
plaintiff  for  listing  defendant's  property,  a  series  of  sporting  camps  situ- 
ated in  Farmington. 

"The  property  was  placed  in  the  agency  October  21,  1905,  and  with- 
drawn October  28,  1907,  by  the  defendant.  The  defendant  claimed  that 
the  terms  of  the  contract  were  not  carried  out;  to  her  knowledge  the 
property  had  not  been  advertised,  nor  had  she  had  any  calls  for  the 
property. 

"The  jury  returned  a  verdict  for  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  of  $50  and 
interest  from  the  date  of  the  writ.  Williamson  &  Burleigh,  Augusta,  for 
the  plaintiff;  Fogg  &  Clifford,  Portland,  for  the  defendant." 

E.  A.  Strout  Company  Won. 

A  suit  brought  by  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  against  John  Virono  to 
recover  on  a  written  contract  was  heard  before  Recorder  Browne  and  a 
jury  this  morning.  Virono  had  signed  an  agreement  with  the  E.  A.  Strout 
Company  promising  to  pay  them  a  fee  if  he  withdrew  the  property  from 
their  hands  before  they  had  sold  it.  He  refused  to  pay;  hence  the  suit. 
The  jury  in  a  few  minutes  decided  in  favor  of  the  Strout  Company. 

Revised  reprint  from  the  "Vineland,  N.  /.,  Daily 
Republican/'  Friday,  October  11,  igoy. 


The  Law  Governing  Principal  and  Agent. 

Important  Rules  of  Law  Which  Should  Be  Carefully  Studied  and  Ex- 
plicitly Followed  by  Agents  of  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  in  Order 

to  Avoid  Heavy  Penalties. 

It  is  important  that  you  note  very  carefully  and  read  frequently  the 
following  statement  of  the  law  governing  your  actions  as  a  Real  Estate 
Broker  for  this  Company.     Give  careful  attention  to  this  and  you  need 


48 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


SUCCESS    SELLING    FARMS: 


have  no  fear  of  criminal  prosecution,  and  will  avoid  expensive  errors  and 
liability  on  your  part  both  to  the  owners  and  purchasers  of  Real  Estate, 
and  to  this  Company. 

As  a  Real  Estate  Broker  you  come  under  the  general  class  known  as 
agents.  Representing  the  Strout  Company,  you  are  agent  for  the  owner 
of  the  real  estate  you  are  trying  to  sell,  and  at  the  same  time  you  are  in 
relation  to  this  Company  its  agent.  The  law  of  Principal  and  Agent 
applies  to  all  your  dealings. 

The  first,  all  important  and  universal  requisite  of  an  agent  is  that  he 
use  the  utmost  good  faith  and  honesty  in  dealing  with  his  principal.  In 
other  lines  of  business,  some  transaction  on  the  border  line  between  what 
is  ^'strictly  business"  and  what  is  dishonest,  are  not  within  reach  of  the 
law,  either  civilly  or  criminally.  But  the  law  of  Principal  and  Agent  is 
peculiar  and  different.  The  ethics  of  a  horse  trade  do  not  apply.  When 
a  Court  considers  relations  arising  out  of  this  relation,  it  is  particularly 
anxious  to  look  at  the  substance  of  the  transaction,  and  no  juggling  of 
dates  and  figures,  or  hair-splitting  of  words,  will  serve  to  blind  it  to  the 
real  nature  of  the  transiaction.  Any  violation  of  this  general  rule  may 
result  in  a  .criminal  indictment  and  conviction,  and  also  heavy  damages 
including  a  forfeiture  of  your  commission. 

You  cannot  act  as  agent  for  both  the  seller  and  the  buyer.  You  are 
agent  for  the  seller  and  you  can  receive  no  compensation  from  the  buyer 
in  the  same  transaction.  A  violation  of  this  rule  is  in  law  a  misrepresenta- 
tion and  means  forfeiture  of  your  commission  and  profits. 

In  no  case  can  you  buy  for  yourself  and  us  property  listed  with  us  at 
a  price  less  than  that  named  by  the  owner  as  net  to  him,  without  first  dis- 
closing to  him  every  offer  you  may  have  received  from  a  prospective  buyer 
for  his  property,  and  every  fact  that  might  influence  his  judgment.  By 
doing  this  you  subject  yourself  to  liability  for  damages  in  an  amount  equal 
to  the  difference  between  the  price  you  paid  and  the  best  offer  you  had 
received  but  previously  unknown  to  him. 

Avoid  Claims  for  Damages. 

You  must  accurately  describe  farms  when  listing  them.  You  are  not 
protected  in  relying  on  statements  of  owners.  If  any  facts  are  mis- 
represented in  your  description  you  are  personally  liable  to  the  buyer  for 
all  damages  he  may  suffer,  such  as  moving  expenses  if  he  comes  from  a 
distance  and  finds  the  farm  not  as  represented. 

In  making  contracts  as  agent  for  others,  where  the  owner  and  principal 
cannot  sign,  always  sign  the  name  of  your  principal  by  yourself  as  agent. 
Do  not  sign  yourself  "John  Jones,  Agent  for  Frank  Smith,"  for  such  a 
signature  binds  you  personally  to  the  contract  and  may  not  bind  Frank 
Smith.     Sign,  "Frank  Smith,  by  John  Jones,  Agent." 


49 


I 


In  listing  have  record  owner  sign  the  contract,  if  possible.  Do  not 
allow  person  listing  property  to  sign,  "John  Jones,  Agent,"  or  "John  Jones, 
Executor."  In  the  former  case  have  the  principal  (the  owner  of  the 
property),  sign,  if  possible,  otherwise  have  his  agent  sign  the  name  of  his 
principal,  by  himself  as  agent.  In  the  latter  case  have  the  executor  sign 
"Estate  of  Frank  Smith,  by  John  Jones,  Executor."  If  one,  not  the  record 
owner,  signs  a  listing  contract,  inquire  as  to  his  authority  to  bind  the 
owner  and  report  to  us  as  to  that. 

Keep  a  Good  Diary. 

Keep  a  careful  record  or  diary  of  transactions  including  dates,  when, 
and  names  and  addresses  of  parties  to  whom  property  is  shown.  Keep 
copies  of  your  letters.  If  you  write  by  hand  use  an  indelible  pencil  with 
carbon  paper.  Careful  attention  to  these  details  will  enable  us  to  recover 
commissions  in  many  doubtful  cases. 

Sales  have  been  made  by  owners  direct  to  our  customers  five  and  six 
years  after  the  property  was  shown  by  our  agent.  Hence  the  importance 
of  keeping  a  diary  record  of  every  visitor. 

List  all  contracts  in  writing  on  our  forms.  In  many  states  the  law 
prohibits  recovery  of  broker's  commission  where  listing  was  oral.  In  many 
states  it  is  extremely  difficult  and  generally  impossible  to  collect  commis- 
sions where  the  owner  has  not  signed  a  contract.  A  written  listing  fixes 
beyond  doubt  the  amount  of  compensation,  the  terms,  and  makes  the 
owners  accurate  in  representations  as  to  condition  of  their  farms.  It 
protects  you  in  collecting  commission  and  from  charges  of  misrepresenta- 
tion and  avoids  trouble  with  the  buyer.  Do  not  alter  contracts  except  by 
writings  endorsed  on  them  and  signed  by  the  owner  and  by  this  Company. 

Do  Not  Mix  Funds. 

Do  not  mix  the  funds  of  this  Company  or  others  with  your  own. 
Money  received  that  belongs  to  the  seller  should  be  deposited  specially 
for  his  benefit.  Whatever  portion  is  our  commission  must  be  forwarded 
to  us  at  once.  Any  commingling  of  funds  of  owners  or  of  this  Company 
with  your  own,  or  retaining  or  depositing  the  same  in  your  name  is  a 
breach  of  trust,  and  makes  you  personally  liable  to  the  owner  or  to  us. 

Money  received  by  you  as  commission,  withdrawal  fees  or  forfeiture 
is  our  property,  you  having  a  claim  to  your  share  after  we  have  received 
the  full  amount.  If  you  retain  this  for  your  own  use  or  neglect  to  remit 
immediately  you  are  guilty  of  embezzlement. 

Agent's  Liability. 

Many  infractions  of  the  above  rules  may  impose  liabilities  on  this  Com- 
pany, but  whether  or  not  we  become  liable  you  are  personally  liable  to 
owners  and  buyers  for  such  infractions.    Any  fraud  or  concealment  may 


w 


so 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


mean  criminal  indictment  and  conviction,  a  loss  of  all  your  commission  or 
profits,  and  possibly  heavy  damages  in  addition.  And  whenever  we  may 
be  held  for  any  wrong  done  by  our  agent  we  at  once  bring  suit  against  him 
for  the  amount  we  are  obliged  to  pay  together  with  costs  and  our  at- 
torney's fees,  which  amounts  we  are  entitled  to  recover  in  any  state. 

U.  S.  Postal  Laws. 

Any  misstatement,  fraud  or  misrepresentation  by  you  to  buyer  or 
seller  by  mail  may  result  in  criminal  prosecution  by  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment for  wrongful  use  of  the  mails.  This  law  is  particularly  severe  and 
punishes  the  sender  of  mail  matter  calculated  to  defraud  whether  by  mis- 
representation of  existing  facts  or  suggestions  or  promises  as  to  the  future. 
The  penalty  for  such  misuse  of  the  mail  is  one  year  in  a  federal  prison  and 
$500.00  fine,  and  the  government  is  a  relentless  prosecutor  of  postal  law 
breakers. 

We  wish  to  save  our  agents  the  liability  for  damage  to  either  our 
customers  or  ourselves,  and  have  employed  an  attorney  to  formulate  these 
rules  for  your  guidance.  They  are  simple.  Those  agents  who  conscien- 
tiously follow  them  will  find  their  connection  with  this  Company  pleasant 
and  profitable.     Those  who  do  not  will   be  promptly   and   vigorously 

prosecuted. 

Report  Sales  Promptly. 

The  attention  of  our  attorneys  having  been  called  to  the  position  of  an 
agent  who  had  failed  to  report  a  collection,  they  wrote  us  in  reply  a  letter 
from  which  we  take  the  liberty  of  quoting  as  follows : 

"An  agent  of  a  corporation  who  appropriates  to  his  own  use  any  money 
or  substitutes  for  money  received  by  him  as  such  agent,  or  refuses  or 
neglects  to  pay  over  or  deliver  the  same  to  the  party  who  should  receive 
it,  within  thirty  days  after  demand  therefor,  is  guilty  of  larceny." 

In  the  contract  under  which  you  are  acting  as  our  agent,  we  promise  to 
pay  you  as  commission  a  certain  percentage  of  the  gross  commission.  This 
promise  to  pay  is  on  our  part  and  is  not  a  promise  on  your  part  to  pay  us. 
We  therefore  take  this  opportunity  of  reminding  you  of  this  part  of  the 
contract  and  so  that  there  will  be  no  misunderstanding  you  will  please 
keep  in  mind  the  following  rule  to  be  applied  in  all  cases  where  moneys  are 
collected  by  you,  either  in  settlement  of  commissions,  forfeitures  or  with- 
drawal fees : 

All  moneys,  checks,  drafts,  notes  or  property  collected  or  re- 
ceived for  commissions,  forfeits,  withdrawal  fees  or  profits  in  real 
or  personal  property  sold,  belong  solely  to  the  E.  A.  Strout  Com- 
pany. The  agents  of  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  shall  keep  the  same 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  property  of  himself  or  from  every 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


51 


other  person  and  shall  within  five  days  after  their  receipt  by  him, 
remit  the  same,  less  the  part  to  which  he  is  entitled,  to  the  E.  A. 
Strout  Company. 

Our  attorneys  further  write  us  as  follows : 

"An  agent  who  refuses  or  neglects  to  turn  over  moneys  collected  with- 
in a  reasonable  length  of  time  after  payment,  could  be  convicted  on  a 
criminal  charge." 

There  is  little  more  to  be  said.  We  have  made  it  plain  that  we  desire 
honesty  above  all  things.  All  we  want  is  the  share  of  the  commissions, 
forfeits,  withdrawal  fees,  etc.  to  which  we  are  entitled.  But  we  do  want 
that  and  we  propose  to  get  it  even  if  we  have  to  invoke  the  aid  of  the 
criminal  law.  We  have  no  desire  to  seek  the  aid  of  the  law  in  securing  for  us 
our  rights  but  there  are  times  when  patience  ceases  to  be  a  virtue  and  when 
it  becomes  necessary  in  order  to  protect  our  own  interests  to  take  legal 
steps.  We  do  not  want  anything  to  do  with  dishonest  men  or  with  agents 
that  are  inclined  to  hold  on  to  dollars  not  belonging  to  them,  and  who 
know  that  in  so  doing  they  are  performing  the  act  of  theft. 

Our  Duties  and  Yours. 

Getting  customers  to  you  is  our  end  of  the  business.  Your  part  is 
to  show  these  customers  about  and  endeavor  to  make  sales.  If  you 
are  not  successful  in  selling  a  man,  you  must  not  tell  him  that  he  must  pay 
for  the  team  which  you  used  to  show  him  the  property.  The  free  use 
of  teams  is  part  of  your  expense  and  we  advertise  in  our  catalogues 
that  customers  can  see  these  farms  free  of  expense.  It  would  be  just 
as  sensible  for  us  to  say  to  the  man  who  did  not  buy :  "Here,  we  spent 
$50  to  advertise  that  farm  you  went  to  see  and  now,  if  you  don't  buy 
it,  you  must  stand  that  $50."  Use  your  own  team  to  show  these  cus- 
tomers about  and  never  ask  a  customer  to  pay  a  cent  for  team  hire. 
That  is  practically  your  only  expense  in  connection  with  the  business, 
and  you  should  stand  it  willingly. 

Always  report  sales  on  the  regular  brown  sale  blanks  properly  filled  in. 

Report  the  sale  the  same  day  a  binder  of  any  kind  is  received  either  by 
you  or  the  owner. 

Forward  to  the  New  York  office  commissions  or  withdrawal  fees 
the  same  day  you  receive  payment. 

In  sending  money,  write  a  check  for  each  commission,  withdrawal 
fee  or  forfeiture.  On  your  check,  write  the  number  of  the  property 
and  also  enter  this  number  on  the  stub  in  your  check  book. 

Never  send  a  check  on  account.  Always  make  it  clear  just  what 
property  each  check  is  on  and  do  not  draw  one  check  covering  two 
properties. 

Make  all  checks  payable  to  E.  A.  Strout  Company. 


52 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


Why  a  List  of  25  Properties  Is  Necessary. 

I  want  to  call  to  your  attention  once  more,  and  impress  idelibly  upon 
you,  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  you  to  get  together  at  once  a  list 
of  not  less  than  twenty-five  properties.  Your  success  as  an  agent  depends 
upon  doing  that  at  once. 

Many  years'  experience  has  shown  us  time  and  time  again  that  it  is 
useless  to  send  customers  to  an  agent  before  he  has  at  least  twenty-five 
properties  listed  for  sale. 

This  is  so  for  the  reason  that  very  few  customers  purchase  the  property 
they  first  go  to  examine. 

A  man  will  go  to  see  a  i8o-acre  farm  at  $3,000  and  you  may  sell  him 
a  one-acre  village  home  at  $1,200.  Another  may  call  on  you  to  see  a  farm 
for  $1,800  and  finally  buy  and  pay  cash  for  an  $11,000  farm.  A  woman 
will  rush  out  to  see  a  farm  you  have  at  $600  and  turn  around  the  same 
day  and  purchase  from  you  a  $6,000  place. 

The  above  incidents  are  FACTS.  They  happened,  and  they  hap- 
pened to  me.  Therefore,  when  you  have  listed  ten  or  a  dozen  places 
don't  sit  down  and  wait  for  us  to  send  you  customers. 

If  you  can't  list,  you  can't  sell. 

If  you  can't  list  twenty-five  properties  you  made  a  mistake  when  you 
thought  you  had  all  the  requirements  necessary  to  become  a  successful 
Real  Estate  Agent. 

The  Withdrawal  Fee. 

We  collect  the  withdrawal  fees  from  the  New  York  office  as  we  find 
that  we  can  do  this  with  less  friction  than  can  the  local  agent.  You 
should  notify  us  promptly  when  a  property  is  withdrawn  and  we  will 
do  our  best  to  collect  the  amount  due  under  the  contract.  When  we 
have  satisfied  ourselves  that  we  cannot  collect  we  will  turn  the  bill  over 
to  our  attorneys. 

In  many  cases  where  agents  have  neglected  to  notify  us  that  certain 
properties  had  been  withdrawn  and  had  tried  to  make  the  collection  of 
the  withdrawal  fees  themselves,  the  owner  of  the  withdrawn  property 
has  moved  away,  leaving  no  address,  and  we  therefore  lost  the  oppK)r- 
tunity  of  even  trying  to  collect  the  amount  due. 

When  requesting  us  to  bill  for  a  withdrawal  fee  or  at  any  time  when 
you  have  occasion  to  make  mention  of  a  certain  property,  always  give 
the  name  of  the  owner  and  the  number  of  acres  as  well  as  the  number 
of  the  property.  This  provides  an  eflfective  check  on  errors  which  should 
be  avoided  at  any  cost.  In  some  cases  a  great  deal  of  unpleasantness 
has  been  caused  as  a  result  of  the  agent  giving  us  the  wrong  number 
in  requesting  us  to  bill  withdrawal  fees.  We  follow  these  bills  up  very 
closely,  and  in  case  of  an  error  when  properties  in  reality  have  not  been 
withdrawn,  owners  sometimes  are  highly  offended  upon  receiving  a  bill 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


53 


for  withdrawal  fee.     At  the  same  time,  it  means  a  great  deal  of  un- 
necessary work  and  annoyance  for  all  concerned. 

Court  Upholds  Withdrawal  Fee. 

A  verdict  for  $155.25  in  full  payment  of  a  withdrawal  fee  of  three 
per  cent,  was  returned  on  March  9,  1910,  by  a  New  Jersey  jury  in  the 
case  of  A.  W.  Dresser,  a  Burlington  real  estate  dealer,  against  CliflPord 
L.  Engle  of  Jacksonville. 

Dresser  had  listed  a  property  owned  by  Engle  on  a  withdrawal  fee 
contract  and  later  Engle  disposed  of  the  farm  to  a  customer  of  his  own 
finding.  Dresser's  contract  called  for  a  withdrawal  fee  of  three  per  cent. 
The  property  was  sold  for  $5,175.  His  claim  therefore  amounted  to 
$155-25. 

Engle  did  not  deny  that  he  had  entered  into  a  written  agreement  with 
Dresser.  Dresser's  contract  also  contained  a  clause  requiring  Engle  to 
give  30  days'  notice  in  writing  to  Dresser  in  case  he,  Engle,  should  desire 
to  take  the  property  out  of  Dresser's  hands.  Engle  claimed  that  he  with- 
drew his  property  verbally  and  that  having  given  the  notice  he  was  not 
obliged  to  pay  the  withdrawal  fee. 

Dresser  claimed  that  he  had  been  to  considerable  expense  in  adver- 
tising the  farm,  which  in  all  probability  brought  the  attention  of  the 
purchaser  to  the  fact  that  the  farm  was  for  sale.  He  was  correct  in 
claiming  that  it  was  not  a  case  of  getting  something  for  nothing,  but 
that  unless  he  was  protected  fully  on  the  provision  of  the  contract  as 
entered  into,  he  could  not  continue  in  business  and  pay  advertising  bills 
and  other  expenses  which  are  absolutely  necessary  in  the  sale  of  real 
estate;  that  in  this  case  it  was  a  matter  of  getting  back  money  already 
paid  out  in  advertising  and  for  contingent  expenses  incident  to  the  efforts 
he  had  made  in  trying  to  sell  the  farm. 

The  jury  returned  a  verdict  in  favor  of  Dresser  for  the  full  amount 
asked. 

Numerous  decisions  of  this  nature  uphold  the  legality  of  the  with- 
drawal fee  clause  in  the  contract.  In  listing  property  agents  should  be 
careful  to  see  that  owners  understand  the  different  provisions  of  the 
contract  so  that  there  will  be  no  grounds  for  misrepresentation.  From  a 
legal  standpoint  we  are  not  called  upon  to  prove  that  the  signer  of  a  con- 
tract understood  the  nature  of  what  he  was  signing.  The  man  who  signs 
a  contract  assumes  all  responsibility.  From  the  standpoint,  however,  of 
policy  it  is  always  best  to  have  owners  understand  the  contracts  they  sign 
so  as  to  avoid  any  misunderstanding. 

In  listing  property  always  be  sure  and  get  the  owner  of  record  to 
sign  the  contract.  Carefulness  in  filling  out  description  blanks  will  save 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  expense  in  cases  where  owners  of  listed 
properties  refuse  to  pay  withdrawal  fees  or  commissions. 


1 


54 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


Refer  Inquiries  to  New  York  OfRce. 

When  anyone  who  has  property  listed  with  us  for  sale  complains  to  you 
about  paying  the  withdrawal  fee,  or  because  the  sale  of  their  property  has 
not  been  made,  and  they  inquire  regarding  the  amount  of  advertising  that 
has  been  done  on  their  place,  always  tell  them  that  such  matters  are 
handled  from  the  New  York  office  and  that  they  will  please  write  there 
for  the  information  they  desire.  This  will  insure  a  quick  and  satisfactory 
reply  to  the  owner  and  at  the  same  time  prevent  any  antagonism  between 
you  and  him.  Should  an  owner  complain  that  we  have  not  brought 
him  a  customer,  it  would  be  well  for  you  at  that  time  to  suggest  that 
he  make  easier  terms,  drop  his  price  a  little  and  throw  in  some  personal 
property.  Tell  him  that  everybody  who  has  called  upon  you  to  see 
property  has  been  looking  for  a  big  bargain.  Don't  forget  that  the 
lower  the  price  is,  the  smaller  the  first  payment,  the  easier  the  terms 
on  the  remainder  and  the  more  "personal  property  included/'  the  easier 
it  is  to  make  a  sale. 

Legal  Expenses  Connected  with  the  Collection  of  Commissions 

and  Withdrawal  Fees. 

When  it  is  necessary  to  employ  legal  services  in  order  to  collect  with- 
drawal fees  and  commissions,  the  charges  for  such  services  will  be 
deducted  from  the  gross  amount  collected  before  the  division  is  made 
between  the  Company  and  the  agent.  In  both  cases,  however,  we  always 
make  an  arrangement  with  our  attorney — so  that,  in  case  of  failure,  we 
have  to  pay  only  actual  court  expenses.  We  have  very  little  trouble 
in  collecting  commissions  in  cases  where  the  owners  acknowledge  the 
correctness  of  our  claim. 

We  have  in  a  few  cases,  however,  been  compelled  to  bring  suit  in 
order  to  collect  commissions  where  owners  had  sold  direct  to  our  cus- 
tomers and  refused  to  recognize  us  in  the  sale.  In  a  case  of  this  kind, 
it  is  always  advisable  for  the  agent  to  place  the  entire  matter  in  the 
hands  of  a  good  local  attorney  with  the  understanding  that  in  the  event 
of  success  he  is  to  receive  as  his  fee  ten  per  cent,  of  the  amount  col- 
lected, the  agent  and  the  Company  to  pay  only  actual  court  expenses  in 
case  of  failure.    In  matters  of  this  kind,  it  is  necessary  to  move  quickly. 

Oftentimes  by  placing  such  claims  in  your  local  lawyer's  hands  imme- 
diately the  farm  can  be  attached  before  the  tricky  owner  has  deeded  it. 

An  owner  who  would  endeavor  to  close  up  a  deal  with  one  of  our 
customers  without  notifying  us,  would  at  the  same  time  try  in  every 
possible  way  to  avoid  paying  us  our  commission.  Therefore,  watch 
carefully  every  real  estate  transaction  taking  place  in  your  sections,  par- 
ticularly transactions  affecting  properties  listed  for  sale  in  our  Company. 


SUCCESS    SELLING    FARMS. 


DD 


What  Constitutes  a  Withdrawal. 

Read  carefully  explanations  of  Forms  115  and  154  on  pages  35  and 
Zy,  and  also  an  explanation  of  "Withdrawal  Fee  of  E.  A.  Strout  Com- 
pany," by  Williamson  &  Burleigh,  Attorneys-at-Law,  below. 

If  any  owner  sells  his  property  direct  without  our  assistance  or 
through  some  other  agent,  our  withdrawal  fee  is  due.  For  in  order  to 
make  such  a  sale  he  is  obliged  to  withdraw  it  from  our  hands.  If  an 
owner  decides  that  he  does  not  care  to  sell  or  advances  his  price  without 
our  local  agent's  approval,  it  constitutes  a  withdrawal  and  our  fee  be- 
comes due. 

In  many  cases  where  an  owner  wishes  to  advance  his  price  it  is  for 
the  reason  that  he  does  not  wish  to  sell.  The  owner  thinks  that  if  he 
puts  his  price  up  high  enough  we  cannot  sell  the  property  anyway,  and 
he  believes  in  this  way  he  can  beat  us  out  of  our  just  withdrawal  fee. 
An  advance  in  price  is  a  withdrawal.    Don't  let  the  owner  hoodwink  you. 

When  a  property  is  taken  off  the  market  because  of  the  death  of 
the  owner  or  loss  of  the  buildings  by  fire,  there  is  sometimes  a  question 
as  to  whether  it  has  been  withdrawn  or  not,  but  in  general  our  fee  is 
recognized  as  a  just  debt  against  the  estate  and  is  paid  by  the  admin- 
istrator. 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  anything  that  deprives  us  of  the  opportunity 
of  selling  the  property  as  it  was  listed  may  be  considered  a  withdrawal. 

Read  all  clauses  of  each  form  you  are  using  and  if  there  are  any 
phrases  you  do  not  understand,  write  us  at  once  for  a  full  explanation. 
As  so  many  owners  and  buyers  depend  so  implicitly  on  the  agents'  ex- 
planation of  our  terms  and  methods,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
every  agent  understand  thoroughly  each  clause  or  phrase  of  every  form 
we  use. 

The  Withdrawal  Fee  of  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company 

By  Williamson  &  Burleigh,  Attorneys.at-Law,  Ausrusta,  Maine. 

Nearly  every  real  estate  agency  requires  its  patrons  to  make  a  small 
initial  payment  which  will  reimburse  them  for  the  cost  of  listing  and 
for  expenses  incurred  in  case  a  sale  is  not  made.  Many  agencies  also 
require  that  a  listed  property  shall  be  left  with  them  exclusively,  and 
that  it  shall  remain  in  their  hands  a  definite  length  of  time. 

From  the  first  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company  adopted  a  different  and 
more  liberal  principle.  It  has  never  required  any  payment  from  its 
clients  so  long  as  their  property  remained  in  their  hands  for  sale.  ( Pro- 
vision has  been  made,  however,  that  while  parties  might  leave  their 
properties  in  the  hands  of  the  agency  as  long  as  they  wished,  without 
charge,  but  in  case  they  saw  fit  to  withdraw  such  properties  they  should 
pay  a  small  fee  for  the  privilege.)  It  has  never  required  an  exclusive 
right  of  sale,  but  by  allowing  owners  not  only  to  make  sales  themselves 


56  SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 

and  to  place  the  property  in  the  hands  of  other  agents,  it  has  welcomed 
competition.  In  95%  of  the  cases  where  property  has  been  placed 
with  the  Strout  Company  and  with  other  agents  and  in  which  sales  have 
been  made  at  all,  such  sales  have  been  effected  by  the  Strout  Company. 

So  far  as  we  know,  the  fairness  or  legality  of  this  withdrawal  fee 
has  never  been  questioned  by  parties  at  the  time  they  entered  into  the 
contract  with  the  E.  A.  Strout  Company.  A  contract  which  would 
provide  for  a  withdrawal  without  any  fee  would  be  beneficial  neither 
to  the  owner  nor  to  the  agent.  No  commission  merchant  dealing  in 
any  kind  of  a  commodity  could  undertake  to  advertise  and  sell  it  if  it 
might  be  withdrawn  from  his  hands  at  any  moment  without  compensa- 
tion. If  such  a  privilege  existed,  parties  owning  property  would  fre- 
quently withdraw  it,  merely  out  of  caprice,  and  perhaps  just  before  a 
sale  was  about  to  be  effected.  In  this  case  the  agency  would  receive 
no  remuneration,  no  matter  how  much  expense  it  had  been  put  to. 

The  withdrawal  fee  is  also  a  check  upon  the  listing  of  undesirable 
places,  and  of  desirable  places  at  extraordinarily  high  prices.  As  the  stock 
market  becomes  clogged  with  "undigested  securities,"  so  would  the  agency 
become  filled  with  "undigested  farms,"  which  by  their  unsalability,  would 
not  only  use  the  advertising  space,  time  and  money  of  the  agency  fruit- 
lessly, but,  like  decayed  fruit,  would  injure  the  sale  of  other  properties 
advertised  with  them,  and  eventually  spoil  the  reputation  of  the  agency. 
The  refusal  of  the  owner  to  agree  to  pay  a  fee  in  case  of  withdrawal 
indicates  on  his  part  either  an  instability  of  purpose  or  a  knowledge 
that  his  property  is  unsalable  at  the  price  quoted.  In  either  case,  he  is 
not  a  desirable  client. 

In  many  instances  the  payment  of  a  withdrawal  fee  is  a  very  small 
compensation  for  time,  trouble  and  expenditure  involved  in  attempts  to 
sell  the  property  which  is  sometimes  withdrawn  just  before  these  efforts 
seem  about  to  be  crowned  with  success.  Nothing  is  more  discouraging 
to  a  real  estate  agent  than  to  be  obliged  to  tell  a  prospective  customer 
that  the  place  in  which  he  has  become  interested  is  no  longer  for  sale. 

.In  such  cases  as  these  it  has  sometimes  become  necessary  to  collect 
the  withdrawal  fee  by  suit  at  law.  Almost  invariably,  on  suit  being 
brought,  the  opposing  attorneys  have  stated  that  they  should  defend  on 
the  ground  of  no  consideration,  claiming  that  the  withdrawal  fee  could 
not  be  legally  collected.  As  invariably,  when  the  day  of  trial  approached, 
they  have  receded  from  this  position  and  acknowledged  the  justice  of 
the  E.  A.  Strout  Company's  claim. 

Inasmuch  as  the  question  had  frequently  been  raised  in  this  manner 
the  Company  was  anxious  that  it  should  be  definitely  decided  and  this 
has  now  been  done.  In  1908  the  Company  brought  suit  against  a  person 
in  Maine  for  a  withdrawal  fee.     The  property  in  this  case  was  of  a 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


57 


class  not  very  salable  and  the  price  placed  upon  it  was  large.  It  did 
not  sell  and  the  owner,  after  two  years,  withdrew  it  and  refused  to 
pay  the  withdrawal  fee.  Suit  was  brought  upon  it  in  the  courts  of 
Maine  and  the  jury  decided  by  their  verdict  that  the  defendant  must 
pay.  Subsequently,  the  Law  Court  decided  that  the  contract  is  a  valid 
one  and  that  listing  was  a  sufficient  consideration  for  a  promise  to  pay 
the  withdrawal  fee. 

As  this  decision  is  in  conformity  with  opinions  which  the  Company 
has  previously  received  from  the  attorneys  in  the  various  states  in  which 
it  does  business  and  as  in  no  case  but  this  has  the  right  to  collect  the 
withdrawal  fee  ever  been  contested  by  any  other  attorney,  we  feel  fully 
satisfied  that  the  courts  of  all  states  will  decide  this  question  favorably 
to  us,  should  occasion  ever  arise  for  its  construction  by  them. 

Court  Sustains  Agent's  Claim  for  Big  Commission. 
Value  of  "Net  Price"  Clause  Shown. 

The  great  advantage  of  listing  property  only  at  a  net  price,  from 
the  agent's  point  of  view,  was  strikingly  shown  recently  when  a  jury 
sitting  in  the  Connecticut  Superior  Court  brought  in  a  verdict  awarding 
Marshall  P.  Richards  of  New  York  City,  a  real  estate  agent,  the  sum 
of  $3450,  the  full  amount  for  which  he  asked,  against  Herbert  D.  Whit- 
ney of  New  Canaan.  The  defendant  had  a  farm  in  New  Canaan  that 
he  desired  to  sell,  and  so  he  entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  plaintiff 
that  all  over  $10,000  he  received  for  the  place  he  could  have  for  his 
commission  (the  same  provision  as  is  made  in  our  Forms  115  and  154). 

Mr.  Richards  did  get  a  customer,  who  finally  agreed  to  give  Mr.  Rich- 
ards $13,000  for  the  farm.  But  Mr.  Richards  was  sticking  out  for  $500 
more,  and  it  was  when  they  were  dickering  and  the  customer  had  decided 
to  give  it  up  that  Mr.  Whitney  came  forward  and  sold  it  himself. 

Real  Estate  Agent  Richards  said  that  the  difference  between  $10,000 
and  $13,000  was  his  commission  and  that  he  would  have  sold  for  $13,000 
anyway  when  he  saw  that  he  could  not  get  any  more,  but  he  acted  as 
all  real  estate  agents  act  under  a  like  circumstance.  The  defense  was 
that  Mr.  Richards  lingered  so  long  that  he  would  have  lost  the  sale 
anyway,  so  Mr.  Whitney,  in  order  not  to  lose,  stepped  in  and  settled 
the  whole  matter. 

The  jury,  however,  held  that  Mr.  Richard's  contract,  with  the  net 
price  provision,  entitled  him  to  full  commission,  and  they  consequently 
awarded  him  $3,450, — the  full  commission  with  costs  added. 


58 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 
COPYRIGHT  LAW. 


Do  Not  Cut  Photographs. 

The  copyright  law  of  the  United  States,  which  became  effective  July 
I,  1909,  provides  a  very  heavy  penalty  for  infringement  of  copyright. 

Should  we  use  in  our  catalogues  without  proper  authority  a  copy- 
righted photograph,  we  would  be  liable  to  the  owner  of  the  copyright  to 
the  extent  of  one  dollar  for  every  catalogue  printed.  The  law  permits  no 
defense. 

It  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance  that  you  do  not  cut  photo- 
graphs, for  by  so  doing  you  might  remove  copyright  marks.  Send  all 
photographs  to  our  offices  just  as  received  by  you. 

How  One  Agent  Made  Good. 

I  have  had  an  agent  go  out  afoot  in  midwinter  over  the  bleak  hills  in 
low  shoes  and  a  derby  hat  in  a  part  of  New  England  where  the  wind  cuts 
like  a  mother-in-law's  tongue  and  the  thermometer  plays  tag  between 
zero  and  30  degrees  below  for  weeks,  in  the  days  when  the  name  of  Strout 
connected  with  the  selling  of  farms  meant  nothing.  That  agent  listed  his 
twenty-five  farms  in  a  few  days. 

At  the  same  time,  other  agents  were  sitting  close  to  the  stoves  spending 
hours  writing  us  excuses  explaining  why  they  were  not  then  listing  and 
bragging  about  what  they  were  going  to  do  later.  They  never  have  done 
anything  and  were  laid  away  long  ago  in  the  Company's  grave-yard. 

The  other  agent  has  made  good  with  us.  He  has  money  enough  now 
that  he  can  buy  his  shoes  and  hats  by  the  carload,  if  he  wants  to.  He  is 
only  one  of  several  score  who  have  made  good  and  made  good  money 
with  us.  There  is  just  one  word  that  defines  success.  It  is  a  short  word 
and  it  is  easily  understood.    It  is  WORK. 

If  it  isn't  in  your  dictionary,  quit  right  now. 

If  you  and  WORK  are  old  chums,  shake  hands,  get  busy  and  you  and 
I  will  make  money  together. 

E.  A.  STROUT,  President. 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


59 


Be  "  Square  '\ 

Never  misrepresent  anything  to  a  prospective  customer. 
We  do  not  allow  and  will  not  tolerate  misrepresentation  on 
the  part  of  anyone  connected  with  the  E.  A.  Strout  Com- 
pany. If  you  can't  do  business  "  on  the  square  '*  and  above- 
board,  you  are  wasting  your  time  and  ours  in  attempting 
to  make  a  permanent  alliance  with  this  Company. 

Treat  the  other  fellow  as  you  would  want  him  to  treat 
you  if  you  were  in  his  place.  This  is  an  easy  rule  to 
remember  and  it  will  make  easy  dollars  for  you. 


6o 


SUCCESS    SliLLIiVG   FARMS. 


Be  a  Booster! 

Boom  your  own  section  all  the  time.  Everything  has 
its  good  points.  Find  out  all  the  good  points  about  your 
district  and  your  properties  and  make  it  your  duty  to  see 
that  everybody  else  hears  about  them. 

Think  out  those  facts  you  would  wish  to  know  regard- 
ing a  new  section,  were  you  thinking  of  moving  there  your- 
self. Post  yourself  on  these  facts  regarding  your  own  sec- 
tion.    Talk  and  write  them  to  your  prospects. 

Be  a  Booster ! 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


61 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


Advertising;  p^e^ 

Use  Form  159 40 

How    to   prepare   advertising   ma- 
terial    25-33 

Observe  copyright  law 58 

Send  good  photographs 32 

Send  good  crop  stories 31 

Send  good  dollar  talks 29 

Choose  low-price  properties 3 

Include  personal  property 3 

Easy  terms   4 

Make  yourself  known . ". 19 

How  to  do  it 20 

Posting  signs 19 

Your  competitors    22 

Write  descriptions  carefully 30 

Advertisements  that  bring  the  dol- 
lars   31 

Dollar  talks    29 

Special  features 28 

Live  stock  a  drawing  card 28 

What  to  select 27 

Never   advertise    unlisted    proper- 
ties   38 

How  to  reach  agents 41 

Agents    information    blank    (Form 

190)    43 

Commissions; 

Avoid  word  "commissions" 14 

Keep  diary  of  dates  and  names. . .  49 

To  whom  paid I6 

When  paid is 

Remit  Company's  share  promptly.  16 

How  to  insure  collection 16 

When  owner  must  pay 45 

When  buyer  must  pay *  46 

Agent's  claim  sustained 57 

Correspondence; 

Use  your  own  name 5 

Never    describe     more     than     two 

farms    9 

What  the  prospective  customer 
wants  to  know — Aids  in  cor- 
respondence      9 

Value  of  promptness 5 

Letters  that  sell  farms 6 

"Night  Letters"  by  telegraph 7 

Special  delivery  letters  and  tele- 
grams      8 

Small  photographs  an  aid  in  sell- 
ing     6 

When   advertised    properties    have 

been  sold 17 


Free  Fare  Bond; 

Pay  only  one  way. 


PAGE 
.       25 


Forms  and  Their  Uses; 


White  listing  blank  (Form  115)..  .  35 

Yellow  listing  blank  (Form  154)..  37 
Brown     descriptive    blank     (Form 

167)    38 

Sales  agreement  (Form  194) 39 

Report  of  sale  (Form  132) 39 

How  to  sell  a  farm  (Form  129) ...  39 

A  few  friendly  facts  (Form  130). .  39 
Agents'     monthly     report      (Form 

142) 40 

Withdrawal  notice   (Form  103)...  40 

Advertising  blank  (Form  159) 40 

Property  classification  (Form  177)  40 

How  to  reach  agents  (Form  180)..  41 

Strout's  produce  blank  (Form  193)  41 

Personal  property  list  (Form  185)  41 
Reduction   of  price  blanks    (Form 

163)    42 

Agent's   information  blank    (Form 

190)    43 

License  report   (Form  197) 43 

Order  blank   (Form   141) 43 

Insurance; 

Have  policies  transferred  promptly 

at  time  of  sale 18 

How  transfer  is  made 19 

Listing; 

A  silent  helper 21 

Make   yourself  known 19-22 

Do  not  handle  unlisted  properties.  38 

Always  use  forms  in  listing 49 

A  few  friendly  facts  (Form  130). .  39 

Inspect  properties  thoroughly 16 

Accuracy  in  descriptions 48 

List  low-price  properties 22 

Get  low  net  prices 23 

Get  easiest  terms 4 

Have  personal  property  included. .  3 

Call  listing  blanks   "price  list"...  5 

If  owners  object gg 

How  to  induce  owners  to  sign. ...  5 

When  to  relist  at  lower  prices. ...  37 

Value  of  agent's  copy   (Form  167)  4 

How  one  agent  made  good 58 


62 


SUCCESS    SELLING   FARMS. 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS- Continued. 


Legal  Side,  The; 


PACK 


Agent's   liability    49 

Protect  yourself    44 

Law      governing      principal      and 

agent 47 

Report  sales  promptly 50 

Do  not  mix  funds 49 

Postal  laws 50 

Keep  diary  of  dates  and  names. . .  49 

Accuracy  in  descriptions 48 

Avoid  claims  for  damages 48 

Observe  copyright  law 58 

Dishonest  owners   44 

Contract  holds  after  withdrawal.  .  45 

When  owners  refuse  to  sell 45 

Owners  must  pay  commissions...  45 

When  buyer  must  pay  commission  46 

Printed  Matter; 

Must  bear  Company's  name 34 

Copy  must  be  approved 34 

Send  check  with  order 25 

Photographs; 

How  to  get  good  ones 33 

Their  value  in  advertising  farms.,  33 

Photographs  for  personal  circulars  33 

Good  camera  for  $9.50 34 


Supplies; 


PAGE 


Special  supplies 25 

Use  Form  141 43 

Send  check  with  order 25 


18 
19 
19 
22 
22 
25 


When  Sale  is  Made; 

Have  insurance  transferred 

Notify  owner  to  prepare  deed... 

Have  tax  receipt  ready 

"Sold  by  E.  A.  Strout  Company". 

Announce  in  local  papers 

Pay  Railroad  fare  only  one  way. 

When  Your  Customer  Comes; 

Meet  him  at  the  train 9 

Take  him  to  your  home 10 

Keep  him  away  from  other  agents  10 
If   property   he    came    to   see   has 

been  sold  17 

Keep  buyer  and  seller  apart 24 

Accompany      customer      to      train 

when  he  leaves 10 

Courteous  treatment  pays 10 

When   you   should   send  prospects 

to  other  agents 10 

Use  Form   190 43 

Do  not  aid  competitors 11 

An  experienced  agent's  advice. ...  24 


Selling; 

Know  your  goods 16 

Do  not  show  all  your  properties..  .  23 

How  a  sale  was  lost 24 

Avoid  making  price 12 

Avoid  the  word  "commission" 14 

A  good  selling  argument 13 


Withdrawal; 


When  terms  must  be  adjusted, 


18 


When  owner  refuses  to  sell 45 

When  and  how  to  bind  the  trade.  .  14 

The  first  deposit — to  whom  paid.  .  16 

Form  194 — Sales  agreement 39 

Formal  agreement  of  sale  impor- 
tant     15 

Report  sales  on  Form  132 39 

Report  sales  promptly 50 

Remit  Company's  share  at  once. .  .  16 
When   advertised   properties    have 

been  sold   17 


What  it  is 55 

How   collected    52 

Why  it  helps  you 36 

What  constitutes  a  withdrawal...  55 
Notify      promptly      when      owner 

withdraws  property 40 

May  mean  full  commission  to  you  40 
Refer  inquiries  to  New  York  office  54 
Contract  holds  after  withdrawal..  45 
Cburt      decisions      sustain      with- 
drawal    46  and  53 

Expenses    53 

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